Otonokizaka School Idol Manager
by Razgriz89
Summary: After a live show at school nearly ended in disaster, Director Minami introduces a new addition to µ's. Not as a performer but a manager, one to iron out the kinks in a budding school idol group. Check profile page for releases and other updates.
1. Prologue

**PROLOGUE**

 _The following takes place between Seasons 1 and 2 of Love Live._

Dragging their weary feet inside the club room, the girls picked their seats in a rush to get a much-needed respite. The vibrant hues and frills of their costumes dulled under an air of melancholy that filled the room. The girls refused to look at each other, save for club president Nico who winced at the sight of a defeated club. She gritted at the misery of it all, perhaps a live show that went south from the first step or a decision to not hold one. Under the table, her fist chomped at the bit to hit the table in frustration.

Her frustration finally reached a fever pitch. No amount of color and frills would be able to lighten the mood. "Let's try this one more time," she scowled. "WHAT HAPPENED BACK THERE?"

All eyes turned to the angry Nico in an instant. Any trace of fatigue in them went away out of fear. Sitting next to her, Hanayo and Rin felt her wrath the most. Still, the former called for cooler heads to prevail. "Um…let's all calm down. The live show wasn't that…bad."

Peace, however, fell on deaf ears as Nico's tirades continued unopposed. "Of course it wasn't bad. It was a DISASTER! We messed up in front of a bunch of _foreign exchange students_."

Rin stepped in for Hanayo, now caving in to fear. "But they said we were awesome."

"They probably felt sorry for us. That's why said those things to us." Nico calmed down a little.

Not minding her aching legs, Eli stood and spoke her mind out. "This just goes to show that we still have a long way to go as a school idol group. Had we entered Love Live at this state, we might have totally failed."

"Elicchi is right," Nozomi added. "We have to get our act together if we even hope to win Love Live, let alone qualify."

Maki sent her cynical gaze Nico's way from the other end. Her habit of twirling her hair added insult to injury. "This would've never happened if you hadn't said your stupid catchphrase."

"Keep my Nico-nii out of this, princess," Nico retorted. "If anything, your weird song is to blame."

At that moment, every one of Maki's switches flipped. "EXCUSE ME?! Who was it that insisted on a new song for the guests, huh?"

"I didn't think you would make one so bad that the director couldn't keep a straight face," Nico said. "She'll probably call us later and ask why we flopped."

Kotori also called for cooler heads. "Come on, Nico. You're overreacting a bit, don't you think?"

"I agree," Hanayo concurred. "Blaming each other won't change today's outcome."

Before Nico could let loose another wave of tirades, Umi stepped in. "Let's take today's mishap as a lesson for the future. Remember, we almost lost µ's not too long ago. I don't want to go through that experience again."

Everyone knew what Umi was talking about, Kotori the most. The sudden change in the tense air in the room was proof. Kotori knew what it was, which weighed on her mind more than anything else, and resisted the urge to talk about it. Nothing can ever be more painful than going after a dream in exchange for the comfort of home and friendship old as time. She felt good making the right choice. She felt good saving the group from a tragic end.

The reminder soothed the savage Nico. She sat with her fellow idols. "I'm sorry, everyone. I got too worked up."

"Why don't we all go out somewhere later?" Eli suggested. "It'll help take our mind off of today. I've been kind of craving for a burger lately."

A chirpy Honoka would never let a chance to enjoy fast food pass. "You can count me in!"

"Says µ's leader who has been mum this entire time," Umi sighed.

"Whaaaat? I probably wouldn't be of any help trying to calm everyone down, anyway," Honoka said.

"You could've said something, you know," Umi replied.

"Well, the important thing is that everything's fine now," Honoka continued. "Ah, how I wish school ends today quickly."

"You're unbelievable," Maki sighed. "The day's just started."

The tense air inside the room all but vanished in place of one of joy, supplied by a round of laughter. Just like that, µ's returned to its usual, quirky band of friends. Nothing has changed, not even the eye on the prize at journey's end: victory at Love Live. After today's disaster, however, it was clear that some things have to change.

One such change entered the club room with the director and cut the collective laughter short. In an instant, all eyes turned to an unassuming guest destined with a pivotal role.

"Hello, ladies," the director greeted. "Do you have a minute?"

 **~O~**

In exchange for class credits on the director's behalf, the girls settled in for what would appear to be a long sermon. A line of sight as long as the table separated the director and her guest, and a shaky Nico. This time, the director kept a straight face for the group to see. They played the guessing game in their minds, thinking about the director's remarks about today's disaster of a live show. With the show still fresh in everyone's mind, it was difficult to forget.

"Calm down, girls," said the director. "I'm not here to reprimand you about your live show."

Nine sighs of relief came, but fear was a bastard to rid. Minus the tense faces, the girls lent an ear to the director while still fearing the worst.

"Just the opposite, in fact," the director continued. "I think you girls will seriously benefit from this plan. But first, let me introduce you to someone."

Through a lone window, perhaps the most important event in µ's career unfolded before the world. Cherry blossoms danced in the gust, catching glimpse of the director taking her guest aside amidst the surprise among the school idols. All the shock and awe stayed in the room, not a note to leak out and seep into a bystander or passerby's ear. Not that anyone at the time was still in the halls as first period had already started.

Snapping out of her own dose of shock, Nico hit the rewind on the whole conversation so far. "So let me get this straight. We're getting a… _school idol manager_?" The rest of the girls exchanged confused looks, trying to make sense of the director's bold proposal.

"Why do you seem surprised?" the director replied. "Big celebrities _always_ have managers to handle their schedules and stuff."

"Well, yes," Umi replied. "But a manager for school idols? Is that even a thing?"

"Having a manager will help the group," the director continued. "Think about one as an extra pair of helping hands in planning for live shows, finalizing costume designs and choreography, and so on."

Umi found some solace in the director's words, but her doubts wouldn't be so easy to allay. "It's true that competing in Love Live requires a lot of planning. But we've always done things on our own."

"I have to agree with Umi," Maki concurred. "We've been holding our own and still do. I don't think we need a manager."

Torpedoed by such blunt words, the guest's heart sank. Regret arrived too late for Maki, now taking flak from almost everyone in the room starting with Rin. "You didn't have to put it like that, Maki."

"Yeah, Maki. Think of how our guest feels," Honoka added.

The redhead mounted a desperate defense. "What? You girls said that we don't need a manager."

But she played right into Nozomi's cheeky smirk. "We never said that we don't need a manager. We only said that a school idol manager is unheard of. It's all about context, Maki."

An ashamed Maki kept the rest of her script to herself. Still, it did little to allay the girls' misgivings, to the director and her guest's dismay. In the midst of the nine voicing their diverse opinions, the guest's words drowned in the noise. Not minding her guest's chagrin clear as day, the director gave a comforting hand and confident smile.

The round of noise piped down the moment the director called the girls' attention. "Ladies, it won't hurt to try something new. Give our guest a chance."

Kotori set the record straight on µ's behalf. "Well, we were never against having a manager. I guess we were just surprised at the fact that we needed one."

"I can speak for the both of us," the director continued. "We want to help you girls achieve whatever goals you have, even winning Love Live. I hope that you all reconsider."

The exchange of confused looks happened a second time but never lasted long. Honoka walked up to the guest and offered a handshake along with a smile. The rest could only watch their charismatic leader make an important decision on their behalf. A happy guest returned the favor with her own hand, sealing the deal. With the director as a witness, Otonokizaka's cherished school idol group has a manager.

"Glad to have you on board," Honoka said. "We look forward to working with you."

Outside, more of the beautiful petals danced in another gust, fanned by fate.

* * *

 _Lightning and Sword Fan Fiction Productions proudly present…_

" **Otonokizaka School Idol Manager"**

 _A Love Live! School Idol Project fan fiction_


	2. Honoka 1: Potential

**RULES OF RESPONSIBILITY**

 _Honoka Kosaka's character story_

* * *

 **EPISODE I: Potential**

Behind the façade of clear skies and a rain of cherry blossom petals, a great danger lay in wait for a hurrying Honoka. Toast on mouth and hair untied, she dashed fast as the wind blowing against her. Blind corners and barricades did little to slow her down, much less her inner fire fueled by copious amounts of: "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…!"

Every clock she passed along the way made a mockery of her futile attempt to beat the buzzer. They all told her the same, sad story: one minute wasn't going to cut it. She refused to stop running, even when asked to stop by the local officer.

"Hey, I said STOP!" he yelled as Honoka whizzed past.

"Sorry officer, but I'm in a hurry!" Honoka yelled back without stopping.

"Try being more responsible next time!" the officer cried.

Trouble continued to pile up on her plate. A blind corner was a perfect place for a collision between a tardy high school girl and a woman with a bag of groceries. A last-minute slide to the side averted a clean hit, although it didn't prevent some groceries from spilling on the pavement. Worse, Honoka had no time to help clean the mess she made.

"Hey! Watch where you're going!" yelled the irate lady.

"I'm sorry, ma'am. It's an emergency!" Honoka replied.

"Try being more responsible next time!"

The last hurdle, the stairway, loomed before her. Skipping several steps at a time brought her closer to the school gates with seconds left on the clock. Steady strides seemed to be beating the clock by a narrow margin. But then, Honoka's best foot got caught at the last step. Across the street, Honoka wobbled her way past the gates and landed face first short of a pair of sneakers.

She never got to see the sneakers, but she heard their owner speak. "Good morning, Ms. Kosaka,"

Still face flat and a total wreck, Honoka greeted in return. "Oh…uh, good morning, ma'am…"

"Guess what, Ms. Kosaka," the teacher continued. "You're late again…as in five minutes late."

Honoka raised her head in a snap. "No way! The clocks along the way said I still had a minute left!"

"Not the school clock, I'm afraid. And for the record, our clock follows Japan Standard Time. And JST says you're five minutes late."

"No fair! How come I've never heard of this before?"

The teacher leaned close to Honoka's face enough to let the latter know that she had heard enough. The glare of an angry forty-year-old isn't one to be trifled with. "WOULD YOU QUIT WHINING?"

Fear tied Honoka's mouth shut, as well as her arms and legs. Any bravado she had in store, namely for a prolonged debate about tardiness, whittled to almost nothing. She faced nothing less of the so-called great danger: a faculty member on morning gate duty. Too bad for Honoka, she has become a familiar face among the teachers. For better or worse, they laughed with the tardy Honoka and put the latter in a different punishment almost every single day. Today's teacher, however, scowled to the point that laughter was taboo.

"Care for a chat, Ms. Kosaka?" the teacher said. "I have an entire script prepared just for you on the matter of punctuality."

The story has been the same, at least in format, for at least eight out of ten days in the school year. It tells the tale of a certain high school junior who leads a group of nine taking names in the world of school idols, yet can't get the time to school right. Tardiness is the antagonist, the despicable master that uses teachers to persecute the student by any means. The plot involves the student doomed to a fate of persecution by teachers, be it standing in the hallway or carrying two buckets full of water.

Today's punishment, however, entails both. "I hope you have a pair of strong arms, Ms. Kosaka. Two buckets of water have your name on them, along with a hallway to spend time and think about your demerits."

"Please have mercy," Honoka pleaded. "I still want to graduate high school."

Things look bleak for the heroine. Only the will of another person can save her from such a terrible fate and end the story on a high note. But who will it be? After hearing about today, Umi may as well give up throwing Honoka a lifebuoy every time the latter goes overboard. Kotori isn't one to use her standing as the school director's daughter. The rest see Honoka as a hopeless nut as far as fulfilling obligations are concerned.

So who'll set her straight? Fortunately, that goes without saying.

 **~O~**

The rooftop came to life in the afternoon with a rhythmic clap amidst the collective gasps of school idols hard at work. Every twist and turn pushed their bodies to reach new extremes, to give them a better shot at their squad goals. A single run of a random number ends with the girls dropping tired and asking for water.

Honoka, on the other hand, also asked for painkillers. "Owie…my arms are still sore."

"You mean from this morning?" asked Hanayo in reply.

A stoic Umi glared at her hopeless friend. "You should've seen that coming, Honoka. Ever since we entered Otonokizaka, you've been late for school for at least eight out of ten days in one school year. Don't ask how I did the math. It's complicated."

"You're kidding me," whined Honoka.

Umi's rain of tirades peppered Honoka, each shot getting the stubborn latter to accept reality. "You could stand to be more responsible, especially as the leader of µ's. Do you want people to see you as a school idol that lacks a sense of punctuality?"

"You know that's not what I want, Umi," Honoka said in indignation.

"Doesn't seem that way to me."

"Maybe you're just too busy _scolding_ me to see it."

"Maybe you just need a good dose of the _truth_."

"What?"

From her bag, Umi took out a notebook that had seen the days of the Restoration. The crusty cover risked falling apart in her hands, but its pages and the text held fast over time. The old kanji was all too Greek to the girls, but at least they had a friend with a background on Japanese traditions.

"In case you're wondering," Umi explained. "It reads: ' _Honoka Kosaka's Episodes of Irresponsibility Since Middle School.'_ By yours truly."

"Forget the kanji, nya," said an impressed Rin. "I can't believe you have a record of such a thing."

"You girls have no idea how dedicated Umi is just to keep me in line," Honoka sighed.

"Honoka has to be reminded of the times she decided to be irresponsible in her life," Umi continued. "It has been my intention, through this notebook, that she becomes a better adult by looking back at her mistakes."

"Ugh, that's one scary dedication," Nico flinched.

The old notebook shared its written wisdom through its author. Almost every date in Honoka's life recorded at least one event of giddiness, not just being late to class. The entries marked with a star, Umi's so-called "choice picks," begged to be read aloud.

In a way, middle school hasn't been kind to Honoka's screw-ups. Her first year of middle school saw her sleeping in class and sneaking out of PE to eat bread, to name a few. Second year added bringing a wild alpaca to school, although in Honoka's defense the alpaca followed her. Third year saw more sleeping, more eating before lunch break, and more alpacas. How the school was able to put up with her shenanigans until graduation was anyone's guess.

"And that's just the tip of the iceberg," Umi said. "Remember first year at Otonokizaka? You got piled up with a week's worth of homework because you said homework should be a crime."

"Liar! I never said anything like that!" yelled Honoka.

"You're right. You didn't," Umi continued. "You _tweeted_ about it."

"Oh, I remember that," Eli added. "I saw that in the archives. I can't believe she actually did that."

"Not helping, Eli!" cried Honoka.

After an eternity of shaming, Umi finally closed the notebook shut. The look on Honoka's face hoped that she never has to hear a single word from it for a while, if not ever again.

"If we're still planning to perform at Love Live, that lackluster attitude of yours has to change," Umi pointed at a bewildered Honoka.

"Well, what do you want me to do about it?!" yelled Honoka in reply.

Everyone was thinking of a single answer. Everyone was waiting on each other to break the news to her. But only the manager had the nerve to shove it in her face.

"For starters, you can start being on time all the time."

All eyes turned to the manager, staring at Honoka the same way a mother stares at a child breaking her favorite vase. Honoka trembled under a sense of dread, sensing Umi's aura emerging from one other than Umi herself. Not about to challenge one that possessed such an aura, the girls watched the manager pass judgment.

"For all your passion in school idols," the manager began. "You're still an awkward mess. This can't go on, especially if you're aiming for Love Live."

"My words exactly," Umi concurred.

"Nevertheless," the manager continued without looking away from Honoka. "I see great potential in Honoka as an effective leader. You have what it takes to lead the group to victory. The key to all this will be discipline—and lots of it."

"Discipline" and "Honoka" seemed like two words that despised each other. The girls never thought to hear both under a single context over their lifetime, which felt good to hear.

"So…what am I gonna do?" asked Honoka.

The manager leaned toward her, too close for comfort. "Simple. Follow my lead."


	3. Honoka 2: Hell Week

**EPISODE II: Hell Week**

Within the darkness known as Honoka's room, the incessant 7:00 a.m. alarm fell to deaf ears. The bulge under the blanket remained unmoved by the combined noise of the alarm, the singing birds, and her mother calling from the store. In deep sleep, not even news of another Love Live coming up could make her rise and shine. Maybe, in her dreams, she and the girls were past that and enjoying roses and admiration from the crowd.

Today, however, demanded that she return to the real world. An air horn to the ear later, Honoka tumbled with her blanket and hit the floor. Rolling face up, she caught a glimpse of the hand—and the voice—behind the air horn.

"Rise and shine, Honoka," shouted the manager. "It's time for school!"

Still in her cottony cocoon, Honoka sneered at her rude awakening. "You could've waited five more minutes. I was having the best dream ever."

"Sorry, but your dreams will have to end at 7:00 a.m. from now on," the manager said. "Get dressed right away. We'll walk to school together."

"Also, who let you in my room anyway?"

"I explained the situation with your parents and they agreed. Isn't that great?"

"Wonderful."

"We're good? Now get going!"

The first rays of an auspicious day shed light on the room. Honoka had taken the first step into her journey to become a more effective leader. Dragging her feet across the room, the journey started weak and slow. Then again, no great leader in history was ever made in a day.

Everything from dressing up to breakfast was cleared in record time, 13 minutes and 52 seconds to be precise. Honoka even found time to help her mother stock up on today's inventory of dango and manju, much to her sister Yukiho's surprise. They couldn't wait for a new and improved Honoka by the end of the week. For now, they would have to make do with the current, lethargic one walking to school earlier than usual.

"Can you believe it?" said the manager. "You actually found time to help around the store before going to school. And your mother said this has never happened before because you're always late. How does it feel?"

"If I have to do this every morning, I'll feel like a total wreck," replied an uninspired Honoka.

"Take pride in the fact that you've started to be more aware about your life. There's still work to be done, but nothing a passionate spirit can't do."

"I'm kinda lacking on passion right now, so—"

The manager blew another shot of the air horn at point blank. Honoka shuddered under the strain of anxiety pounding her chest.

"That attitude simply won't do," the manager said. "As a leader, it's your mission to keep everyone moving forward. A leader lacking passion is no different from sushi lacking rice."

"I don't understand the comparison," Honoka replied. "But could you PLEASE put that thing away?"

"How come? It's a good way to keep you in line."

"I'll be deaf before Love Live happens! Pretty please!"

The manager sighed in dismay while putting the air horn away. "Fine, fine. Not like I can use this at school anyway."

The walk to school went like clockwork. Before they knew it, Honoka and the manager joined other students up the stairs to the school gates. One glance at the manager's timer informed them of ten minutes to spare. The tens of fellow students making the daily ascent assured them that they would make it before the morning bell. Somehow, a stark realization put a smile on Honoka's face.

The smile didn't last long, however. At the gates, Honoka saw her "favorite" teacher eyeing students coming in. Before she could hide behind the manager, the teacher already locked her watchful gaze.

"Oh, Ms. Kosaka," said the teacher. "This is a surprise. You're early for once."

"Oh, well, is that a fact?" Honoka let out an anxious laugh.

"Consider yourself lucky, Ms. Kosaka," warned the teacher. "But if you let your guard down for even a moment, there _will_ be consequences."

"Oh, well, is that also a fact?" Honoka anxiously laughed again.

"Now hurry and get inside. First period is about to begin."

"Y-Yes, Ma'am!"

Past the teacher, the once-tardy student felt a burden lifted off her back. There would be no lifting of buckets of water in the hallway today, much less a lengthy sermon in the faculty room. There is only Honoka bottling up her excitement after dodging a bullet.

"Happy?" asked the manager.

"A little," replied Honoka.

"See? That wasn't so bad. Keep it up and you might become a role model."

"You know what? I think you're right."

"Well, prepare yourself because that's just the beginning."

 **~O~**

Lunch in the courtyard always invokes a strange aura that makes any packed lunch a lot tastier. The effect grows tenfold when enjoyed with friends, which even school idols find too tough to resist. In the spirit of camaraderie, as well as the obligation to properly welcome its new manager, µ's shared a spread of sandwiches, sushi, and leftovers from supper under the shade. They raised their glasses of juice in honor of this truly auspicious day.

"Thank you, everyone," the manager delivered a speech for the occasion. "Never thought that there would be a welcoming ceremony today."

"We never got to know more about you since we first met," Eli explained. "That's why we thought of holding this small party."

"You're too kind, Umi."

"What? Oh no, Umi's over there," Eli pointed at Umi waving her hand. "My name's Eli."

"Oh, right. My bad. I'm not good at remembering names."

Pointing at every member of the tight circle, the manager matched a name. Needless to say, it was a mess everyone had to clean up. Rin became Maki, Maki became Nozomi, Hanayo became Nico, Nico became Kotori, Kotori became Hanayo, and Nozomi became Rin. How someone could be this bad at remembering names was beyond any of them.

Umi and Eli aside, however, the manager got Honoka right. "At least you got one of us correct," Maki remarked.

"Naturally," Kotori replied. "Honoka's the leader, so she stands out the most."

"And as such, she must be responsible in many aspects, not to mention school work," Umi added.

Honoka dropped her fried egg out of spite. "You don't need to tell me twice, Umi!"

"No, but I have to remind you _dozens_ of times," Umi took a bite out of her rice ball. "µ's will probably be a train wreck if not for the rest of us keeping you in line."

"Are you gonna be like this until end of lunch?" Honoka sighed.

Between the two best friends, Eli offered a hand on the shoulder for each of them. "Lighten up, you two. We don't get to have lunch together like this. Let's enjoy every minute of it."

"Food tastes better with friends, nya!" said Rin after slurping a helping of ramen.

Idle chatter filled the air above the circle of friends. Laughter and smiles were being passed around along with a rice ball or piece of roll. An aura of happiness swirled around Honoka, the source of the bulk of the group's optimism. In every chance she got at talking about a different subject, the group adapted to it almost right away. In every flub Honoka made, either Umi or the girls called her out on it with faces that say: "You're hopeless."

It doesn't make sense, the manager thought while watching Honoka laugh and smile. How could µ's remain cohesive despite Honoka flubbing as a leader? Leaning on Umi and the rest of the girls when she needs it might be more troublesome for what it's worth. Perhaps, the lack of honorifics was a major caveat. The problem seemed more deep-seated than it first appeared.

In the leisure of the girls' company, half-an-hour passed like a gentle wind. The manager's outburst at the realization caught the girls by surprise. "Crap! It's past 12:30?! Come on, Honoka! We have to get to the library now."

"Huh? Why?" Honoka asked as the girls exchanged looks of confusion.

"Have you forgotten? You have to study your morning notes," the manager said.

"Do I?" Honoka asked, still puzzled.

"You can all forget about entering Love Live with a failing grade in math. Now move it!"

A sense of dread awoke within Honoka. Any appetite for rolls or rice balls vanished, along with the want to hang out until the end of lunch. After packing up their lunches, she and the manager made a mad dash inside the building. Their exit had been so quick that not a soul was able to ask why the two had to go.

Only Rin was quick enough to say something. "What…just happened, nya?"

 **~O~**

With the setting sun, another day of learning came to an end. Across a walkway strewn with cherry blossoms, an exhausted Honoka tried her earnest not to fall. Once teeming with energy from sunrise to sundown, school today had sapped her of all but just enough to make the journey home. Practice hardly drains her, so her to-do list must've been way longer than usual.

"Tip of the iceberg" was right. The list stretched along her entire route from home to school, with a few takeaways. Waking up early and studying during lunch aside, µ's leader had been busy planning the next live show's theme with Eli, finalizing costumes with Kotori, revising formations with Umi, reviewing the score with Maki, and polishing dance steps with everyone else. Nothing unusual, as it always has been this way since forming µ's.

Today, however, filled the holes in such tasks. "You keep telling them that the costumes and dance steps are awesome," the manager told Honoka. "But you never bother to study these in detail. Your performances can improve a lot if you just keep an eye for detail."

"But that's supposed to be your job," Honoka replied.

"My job is to plan µ's career path," the manager said. "Your job as leader is to make sure your group is ready by the time you decide to pursue said path."

"How is that different?"

"Do you _really_ want to hear the whole explanation?"

"Will it take long?"

"Not really. Just the entire school year."

"You're just being mean," Honoka complained but calmed down. "At least it's all over. Being a leader sure is hard work."

The surprised manager stopped short of crossing the street. "What do you mean?"

"I've done everything on the list, right?"

"Are you for real?" the manager chuckled. "This is just the beginning, Honoka. You'll be doing these things every day until they become second nature."

"Say what?"

"You honestly thought you could become more responsible in just a day?"

"SAY WHAAAAAAAT?"


	4. Honoka 3: A New Honoka

**EPISODE III: A New Honoka**

"Anyone seen Honoka?" Hanayo stretched her arms along with the girls in afternoon practice. On this particular day in their school idol career, µ's leader couldn't be accounted for. They hoped to kill some time with some warm-ups, sometimes without her showing up.

"She said she has something to do at the library first," Umi answered. "But for Honoka to be _this_ late to practice is just…"

By no means was this trend an isolated case. The confounded looks among µ's ranks showed their reservations for the past few weeks. Every day of practice from that point on felt different without Honoka to lead the way. Either Umi or Eli could take the reins on her behalf, as it had always been even before the manager joined, but the lacking feeling persisted. Indeed, days of doing things as a full group of nine have made them inseparable.

"She and the manager have been going to the library a lot lately," Umi added. "To be honest, I expect that to be the _last_ place to find Honoka."

"This started when the manager began training her, right?" Hanayo said.

"I guess," Umi replied. "Maybe it means she's finally taking her responsibilities a lot more seriously."

A stoic Nico scoffed at the absurdity hidden in that argument. "You think she'd find a bit more time for the club, don't you think?"

"I don't think Honoka has forgotten her responsibilities in the club," Kotori took a stand for her best friend.

"Kotori's right," Eli concurred. "The manager is with her. Besides, we're talking about Honoka here."

The girls shared a chuckle or two. Honoka losing time for school idol stuff? The gods must be crazy to let that happen in a lifetime. Everything µ's has worked up until today has been, in large part, the brainchild of a proactive mind. Everything the girls built with their song and dance has been driven by no less than their charismatic leader. The warm-ups continued, sans the load in the girls' chests.

After at least two sets of warm-ups, the school idol of the hour and the manager joined the girls. Even if the cause is for a better Honoka, Nico doesn't take to tardiness well. "You're late. Again."

"Sorry," the manager stood in for Honoka. "She really needs to brush up on her math. Library time took longer than expected."

"Are you done with your errands, Honoka?" asked Umi.

"Yeah," Honoka nodded. "I'm ready to start practice."

Nico shoved her face toward Honoka, too close for comfort. "You better be. My body's already sore from half-an-hour of warm-ups."

"Really sorry," Honoka lowered her head in shame.

The last thing the group needed was fighting among themselves. Maki got in between the two. "Cut her some slack, Nico. Honoka may not be leader material, but it doesn't stop her from trying."

"Now, now," Eli intervened. "Why don't we save our energy for today's practice?"

And so, another day of practice honed the group's song and dance for the competition to come. A delayed Honoka aside, today's practice never felt out of the ordinary. The investment of blood and sweat with each line sung and step taken turned to merits in their performance. The smiles on the girls' faces showed their passion for the sport. Everyone expected their leader to give it her all and lead the way, which she didn't fall short of both.

Maybe the gods aren't crazy. Yet.

 **~O~**

No matter the extent of their training, the girls dropped exhausted after an hour of song and dance. A water break was in order, as well as a meeting about an opportunity to get the µ's name out. The manager opened up with a bold idea, to which everyone save for Honoka reiterated: "A live show after Love Live?"

The plan itself wasn't unusual. If anything, school idol groups serious about achieving fame would use every chance they get to get their name out. What surprised the girls, however, lay somewhere in between the lines.

"That's right," the manager said. "The end of this Love Live means the beginning of the next one, so school idols will be busy preparing for it. Whoever fires the first shots will have the advantage."

"A live show? In two days?" said a frantic Umi. "Would we be even ready on time?"

"I thought we all agreed not to rush things anymore," Hanayo added.

"We aren't," the manager smirked. "We've been planning this for weeks."

A resounding "What?" hit the manager and Honoka right away. Confused looks and spit takes aside, the news earned the girls' attention.

"Guess the cat's out of the bag," the manager said.

Cue a cat springing out of Rin's bag next to her. "Nya! How did _that_ get there?"

The little powwow paid no heed to the cat that scurried away. All eyes were fixed on the big news.

"Sorry if we didn't keep you all in the loop," the manager said. "Honoka and I wanted this plan to be a surprise. It'll generate more impact that way."

Before anyone could ask what the plan was, an excited Honoka beat them to the punch, opening her arms to the suggestion of: "Another live show in Akiba!"

As far as crazy plans go, this left everyone picking up their jaws off the floor. Nico got hers first and gave the leader the nicest words that expressed her opinion. "Have you lost your mind, Honoka?! You want us to perform at a place controlled by the champions?"

Where µ's leader got the bravado to propose such insanity, the girls could only guess. Library time must've been more than just opening a few textbooks and going over notes. But as bold as the plan appeared to them, not one felt like issuing an ultimatum to the current queens of the school idol world. Even Kotori, who agrees to almost anything Honoka says, had to look away in regret.

"Honoka, what brought this on?" Umi asked.

"I think it's a great idea, don't you think?" Honoka replied. "It's just as the manager said. The end of this Love Live is the beginning of the next one. We'll go out there and give our best performance yet. All eyes will be on us as the group that fired the first shots."

"But why Akiba?" scowled Nico. "Are you trying to pick a fight with A-RISE? Do you want people to see us as arrogant?"

"Why are you all so worked up about this?" Honoka said. "We did it before. We can do it again."

"That was _before_ Love Live," Nico said. "This is a different ball game. If we aren't careful—"

The manager stepped in for Honoka. "We won't be careless, I can guarantee that much. That's why I spent so much time training Honoka to be a great leader. You'll be surprised at just how much she's grown these past few weeks."

Nico's frustration turned at the manager. "Yeah, sure. I feel a _lot_ safer now."

"We'll go over the details of the live show in the club room once practice is done," the manager continued. "It won't be easy, but it'll be the shot in the arm µ's needs."

"Eek! We're gonna get shot?!" Hanayo freaked out.

"Calm down, Hanayo. No one's gonna get shot," Eli then turned to the manager. "Even if we manage to go through with this, will we be able to get everything done on time?"

The manager's confidence in his plan spoke on his behalf. "I think I'll let Honoka answer that one."

 **~O~**

Arms sore and legs shaky, the girls found more than just a well-deserved rest in the club room. Not that practice felt more work than normal, but the girls found no words for the plethora of words their leader had to say. Everything but the kitchen sink had been planned out in the whiteboard of black scribbles. Everyone had a to-do list of their own, all doable within 48 hours. The particulars would warrant its own story for an explanation, but the girls understood their roles with just one look at the scribbles. And there was no point in doubting Honoka as the author thanks to her sloppy handwriting across the board.

"Is everyone clear on what to do?" Honoka asked. Nothing but air, at least for the first few seconds.

"Where…did this all come from?" Umi's gaze darted between the fine details laid out in front of her. "There's no way you could've come up with this on your own."

"I didn't. The manager helped me with half of it," Honoka smiled.

"And you want us to do everything on the board in just two days?" Umi gasped.

"It's doable, right?"

"That's impossible! The earliest we can be fully ready is a week."

"Don't worry, Umi. I'll help you with the choreography."

"And the costumes?"

"That, too."

"Music? Lyrics?"

"Will do."

"Theme?"

"On it."

"Honoka!"

"Whaaaaat?"

With the rest of the girls still fixated on their to-do lists, the tense air above Honoka and Umi only served to worsen the confusion. The manager stepped in between them in an effort to minimize the collateral. "Listen, Eli—"

The correction came swift as a coursing river. "Umi,"

"Listen, Umi. Why not give Honoka a chance? After all, you want her to take things more seriously. This is her chance."

"That's true, but I didn't…"

"If it makes you feel better, I'll take full responsibility if the live show fails."

"That's not what I…"

Honoka walked up to the manager's side. "This is _still_ what you want, right Umi? Are you just gonna turn back now?"

Soon, a surge of confidence helped swing popular opinion in favor of a new Honoka. Eli led the way. "It won't hurt to try. Let's give this one a shot. I have a feeling that we'll be able to pull this off if we work together."

"If Honoka's this eager to help out, then I'm all for this plan," Kotori said.

Sensing the leader's strong desire to create a new success, The Magician made itself known to the situation at hand. "Looks like the cards are favoring Honoka," Nozomi said.

There was no need for the rest of µ's to speak up to achieve a majority vote, even with Umi as the only dissenting vote. The live show would push through. "If there aren't any objections, then let's get started," the manager declared.


	5. Honoka 4: So Little Time

**EPISODE IV: So Little Time**

The roar of an excited crowd filled the auditorium just as µ's played its last number of the live show. Among the climactic cheer, the faint calls for an encore echoed barely loud enough for the sharpest of ears. The bittersweet feeling of a good time ending too soon drowned under the thrill of "What's next?" for the dark horses of the school idol world.

"Thank you so much, everyone!" the center, Honoka, stepped forward on the group's behalf. "Please look forward to our future live shows!"

Out of breath but not of heart, the girls held their head high as they exited the stage. They took with them the satisfaction of bringing smiles to a small but supportive crowd. Backstage, in the middle of crew packing up for the day, the exchange of giggles did wonders for group morale. When was the last time they felt this motivated to entertain? When was the last time they worked to the bone for a footnote appearance?

All eyes were on Honoka, the school idol of the hour. The meticulous planning that went through this live show had paid off, down to the last detail. The long hours invested in coordinating every aspect resulted in one of their best performances to date. For the record, a round of applause was supposed to be in order, if the girls weren't plumb tuckered out.

They settled with words of praise for now, starting with the once-skeptical Umi. "Wow, Honoka! I didn't expect the show to be _this_ successful. You really surprised me."

"Me too," Eli added. "I believe the crowd out there speaks for itself. Well done, Honoka."

"I hadn't had this much fun since…well, ever, nya! Thanks, Honoka!" Rin cheered.

Honoka shrank from all the praises she was getting. "Aww, shucks. It was nothing, really."

"With this success, there's no doubt that we'll be getting a lot of buzz in the coming days," Eli said. "Other school idols will have to take us seriously."

The manager joined the girls, scrolling past the incoming feeds in the tablet. "That's right. I'm seeing a lot of activity on my Twitter feed right now. Somewhere along the lines of _µ's Fires First Shots of Next Love Live_."

"Right! I'm all fired up now," Nico said. "Let's get to practice now."

"Calm down, Nico," Maki sighed. "We're all beat from doing five songs in a row. Let's call it a day."

"Before we do," the manager said. "Why don't we eat out to celebrate? Any suggestions?"

The one-liner suggestions came on a whim. To nobody's surprise, Rin suggested a ramen shop, but Hanayo wanted rice. Clearly, they weren't going to come to a decision. So the manager went for the next best thing: asking the school idol of the hour. "Any suggestions, Honoka?"

To their surprise, she turned down an invitation to anything she wanted. "Sorry, guys. I promised the acting club to help out with rehearsals later."

"The acting club?" asked Umi in reply. "Since when have you been helping the acting club?"

"Well…they _kinda_ pulled a few strings for us about the auditorium," Honoka explained. "Now, I owe them one."

"Now that you mention it," Nozomi said. "I seem to recall the acting club withdrawing their schedule for use of the auditorium a while back. This allowed us to hold our live show here."

Rin loomed close to Honoka's face. Too close. "So, no ramen?!"

So did Hanayo. "Or rice?!"

Their charismatic leader was quick to assure them. "No, it's not like that. You guys have fun without me. See you around." She then took off, leaving her friends in puzzled silence amidst the clang of the set being taken down.

"What…just happened, nya?" Rin said.

 **~O~**

Days passed and days yet to come. On a random morning, a drastic change in the wind blew the cherry blossoms the other way. The crossing guard went about his business of ensuring public safety. At his whistle, both ends of the crossing exploded in a stream of people making their way.

The monotony of his job almost killed the day for him, if not for the once-troublesome Honoka crossing with grace. His whistle dropped from his mouth as he watched confidence in motion, confidence from a girl who once almost got hit by a car. Forget monotony, he almost forgot his job until it became the vehicles' turn to move. It took an irate driver's horn to snap him out.

Soon, she was in the right place to catch a lady's bag of groceries. Indeed, the two had met before, which involved a few tomatoes crushed under the heels of busy foot traffic. Strange as it seemed, the awkward look on her face struggled between thanking Honoka and berating her for the waste of good tomatoes. Honoka didn't stick around to find out.

She joined the stream of students coming in for another day of learning. The watchful teacher by the gate fixed her gaze at Honoka, who kept her poise all the way to the building. Somehow, the reality of an untouchable Honoka annoyed her to the core. Her wrath instead terrified the freshmen coming in. No lifting of buckets for today.

Everything happened in the span of several minutes. It was only 7:30 a.m.

"Good morning," Honoka entered the club room with a smile. Half of the girls were only there to return the favor.

"Honoka, you're early," Kotori said.

"I've been sleeping and waking up early since the manager's training. It feels great."

"Really? That's good to hear. I bet Umi will be happy to hear that."

Hanayo let out an earsplitting shriek in front of the computer. She got everyone's attention on a whim. "These…these views…no way!"

The girls gathered around their friend, only to share her dumbstruck reaction. An endless list of search results for µ's populated the screen as part of headlines of news stories, blog posts, and forum threads. The titles varied word for word, but they spoke the common theme of their live show days ago. There was no end to the list, no matter how many pages Hanayo explored (she was already on page 25).

"That many people are still talking about it?" Nico said.

"That's amazing, nya!" Rin exclaimed.

"That's just the beginning," Hanayo switched to the video tab. "You'll never guess how many shares and likes our video has."

One can only guess, but the girls didn't need to. A total of over 200,000 views and 5,000 shares over the course of a few days was a viral feat in itself. And the counter only increased with each refresh. Nico nearly jumped for joy. "That's crazy!"

"Honoka really did it this time," Kotori gave Honoka a hug from out of nowhere. "Everyone's talking about µ's now. And it's all thanks to her."

"Come on, Kotori," Honoka replied under a warm snuggle. "You're giving me way too much credit. This was a team effort, remember?"

"That's not true," insisted Kotori. "You planned everything to the smallest detail to make this live show a success. In fact, you've changed a lot since the manager put you in training."

"Well, is that a fact?"

"You bet it is!"

Knowing the rigors that follow a grand slam success, Nico set the girls straight. "Listen up. Things are only gonna get tougher from this point on. µ's must maintain this momentum until the next Love Live. Our next live shows must be fresh and innovative."

"Leave it to Honoka to come up with something cool next," Rin declared.

"You'll be joining us for afterschool practice, right?" Hanayo asked.

"You bet!" Honoka answered with confidence. "After today's good news, I'm _super_ psyched."

"That's a relief," Nico said. "For a sec there, I thought you have some business to take care of later."

 **~O~**

Nico regretted tempting fate earlier. Afterschool practice became plagued by delays thanks to their no-show of a leader. "WHERE THE HELL IS SHE?!"

"Talk about tempting fate," replied a nonchalant Maki.

"It wasn't my fault, okay? Honoka gave us her word."

"So you say…"

By this time, Honoka's constant rain checking convinced them that it was anything but a one-off. At least to them, the past few days saw her trading practice for the affairs of other clubs and students. Almost every member of µ's counted the ways. She turned down Eli yesterday in favor of helping the math club prepare for the regionals. The day before, she took a rain check in front of Nozomi after committing to a guest appearance at kendo club (which she used to be a member before being active as a school idol).

The worst, however, came from Umi herself. "She actually turned me down to tutor a bunch of first-years in math. Can you believe it? MATH, of all subjects."

"Wait, she's taking tutor requests now?" Nico said.

"I never imagined Honoka to be so busy all of a sudden," Nozomi said.

"She's not," Umi said. "This is _freaky_. I want her to be more responsible, but not to the point that she doesn't have time to be a school idol."

"Do you think this is payback for all that training the manager gave her?" Hanayo asked.

"Honoka would never do that," Kotori replied.

"What would Honoka get out of a payback for training that _actually worked_ for her?" Umi added. "It doesn't make sense."

If anyone could make sense out of what was happening to their leader, it had to be the manager. In a typical "speak of the devil" fashion, the manager arrived just before becoming the talk of the group. The collective gaze onto a single target made the casual entrance awkward, if not uneasy.

The manager's eyes darted among the gazes. "What?"

A fiery Rin hurled her weight against the manager. "Hey! What have you done to our Honoka, nya?!"

"Hey, what's going on? What are you talking about?"

The tirades kept coming out along with Rin's flurry of punches. "Honoka's been acting weird since you gave her that training. Turn her back to normal this instant!"

"Hey, Nico! You're not making any sense."

"My name's Rin!" she shook the manager even more.

"Good grief, learn our names already," Nico snarled.

There was nowhere else to sit down but the hot seat. Amidst the girls' varying gazes, the manager settled down for a long talk. The flustered look hid an important detail in the dark. At this point, it was pointless to keep it hidden any longer.

"Fine," the manager sighed. "You deserve answers. I…I had Honoka help the other clubs as part of her training."

"Other clubs?" everyone asked in unison.

The manager mentioned a barter of sorts. In exchange for Honoka helping out the other clubs with their activities, the club leaders agreed to teach her what it means to be a leader. Almost every club leader had a copy of the rules of responsibility, which they all followed to the letter. But µ's leader didn't have one, or at least never bothered to get one. For that, the manager felt jealous.

"I wanted Honoka to understand these rules," the manager continued. "With the success of the live show, the school idol world will be expecting greater things from µ's. I don't want µ's to suffer just because someone forgot to get the lyrics done."

"Believe me, I never intended for this to happen," the manager added as the girls continued to lend an ear. "I don't know why Honoka suddenly wants to get active in other clubs. I don't know why she has to pay for it with her time as a school idol."

Of the girls, Umi took the news the hardest. The sole person who shared the desire for a friend to be more responsible in her life with the manager sank in sadness. Maybe Hanayo was right. Maybe this was payback for turning her into something she didn't want to be.

"Honoka has always been a free spirit," Umi said. "She isn't the type who does things by the book. She wants to do them by her own rules. And for that, she often winds up in trouble."

"I saw how the other clubs worked," the manager said. "How they were organized. How they got things done. How they carried themselves."

"And if I have to guess, you didn't see any of those traits in Honoka."

"More or less."

"But why wait until now to tell us this?"

"It's not that I was keeping it a secret. I just thought it wasn't that important to tell."

But it _was_ important, after all. Now, everyone became aware of the impending crisis and had to act before they lose an invaluable member.

Hanayo asked what everyone else was thinking right now: "Are we gonna lose Honoka?"

To which the manager replied: "Not on my watch."


	6. Honoka 5: A True Leader

**EPISODE V: A True Leader**

The crack of wooden swords and the grunt of their wielders pierced the air in and around the dojo. The hardwood floor thumped under the weight of footwork trying to gain the upper hand in a fight decided by one hit. Snapping with every strike foiled, the blades shuddered but not wavered before each other's presence. Both kept an eye for that small opening in a fierce battle. Both refused to let their guard down, even for a split second.

The fight threatened to end in a stalemate. The combatants waited for the other to make a blunder so costly. Then, it came: one of them lost her nerve and charged head-on. With cool precision, the other delivered the play of the game in her opponent's wrist. The sword dropped from the latter's hands as the referee signaled the end to the fight.

The victor took off her helmet. The victor was Honoka.

"Wow," remarked one of the kendo club members from the side. "I can't believe our school idol used to be into kendo."

"Yeah, and she's still got it," remarked another member.

The match, as it turned out, would've been lost if not for her opponent's itch to strike first. Someone out of touch with kendo for a long while could only escape defeat by a narrow margin at best. A win is a win, nevertheless.

Honoka left a grateful dojo before the sun could call it a day. Pulling out a list, she ticked her kendo schedule out of the way. One more appearance for the newspaper club and she can call it a day, too. A lone unchecked item on a packed to-do list would drive any overworked student happy, but not Honoka. She turned the list on the other side, only to see nothing and sighing at the sight of it. But tomorrow will be another day, so her dismay didn't last long.

"Right," she said. "Let's get this over with."

She walked toward the setting sun, only to stop with the mention of her name from behind by a familiar voice. "Honoka!"

Between her and the dojo, the manager sighed in relief after hours of weaving through the maze of classrooms and clubrooms. The tense, exhausted look carried the urgency of talking with Honoka. The setting sun bore witness to the confrontation, even if only for until it retires below the horizon.

"Honoka," the manager began. "Why didn't you come to practice today? You promised."

The pause was unsettling, but she gave her explanation. "Sorry, sorry. I almost forgot that I had to help the kendo club. You know, as a former member."

"And you didn't think to tell us because…?"

"Well, I was in a hurry so—"

"Liar."

This point in the conversation, the sun had already left. Under the burgeoning sky of stars, Honoka staggered at the manager's remark. Coupled with the manager's serious look, she could tell that she wouldn't make it to her last appointment after all.

"You aren't one to miss out on practice even if it means the end of the world," the manager said. "You had your heart dead set on becoming a school idol. You even fell ill because of it. So why?"

Walking away only stiffened the manager's resolve, grabbing Honoka's hand before she gets too far.

"Honoka," the manager said. "Everyone deserves an explanation. At least give them that."

She couldn't look at the manager eye to eye. The shame that had built up over the past several days had been too much to bear. Struggle as she did to break free, the manager's grip tightened. Neither was going anywhere until the score had been settled. The determined look on the manager told her that they may as well be here all night, standing in the cold under a blanket of stars. Fortunately, it didn't have to come to that after Honoka loosened her struggle to break free. Then, under the first of millions of twinkles, she faced the music.

What did it mean to be a leader? The thought crossed Honoka's mind one too many times, despite what others might think. She had no idea where to fit in, with Umi taking the helm during practice and Kotori taking charge of the costumes. Maki leads in making music, with Hanayo and Rin helping her. Sometimes, Eli trades places with Umi, while Nozomi suggests the best course of action for an upcoming activity. If not as the de-facto leader and founder of µ's, Honoka might be more ordinary that Kotori who struggled with that problem during her Akiba stint. She never got her answer, at least until the manager subjected her to the leadership regimen.

"Then you showed me to the clubs," Honoka continued. "I've never felt so…leader-like before. They came to me for help. I really felt like I was leading the way."

"Honoka…" the manager replied in awe.

"I wasn't trying to avoid µ's, honest," added Honoka. "I couldn't face them. Not the way I was back then. That's why I went from club to club and offered to help."

"You wanted to return to µ's when you're ready," deduced the manager.

"Yeah."

"Now I understand."

"Huh?"

The manager lets go of Honoka's hand, instead holding onto something heavier: a bit of guilt inside. "I got so focused on making you the ideal leader that I lost track of who you really are. I nearly made you into something else."

"What are you talking about?" asked a confused Honoka.

"Become the leader _you'd_ follow."

It seemed like going back to the ways Umi and—to an extent—the rest find unbecoming of a leader. Why put all that hard work to waste? It made as much sense as snow in summer. The thought was slow to sink in, but it was sinking in nonetheless.

"I don't want to be that kind of leader," Honoka said. "I'd only screw things up. Umi will only get mad at me again."

It didn't have to be that way, much to her relief. "If it makes you feel better, you can always get back on helping the other clubs. But I think one club needs your help _a bit_ more than others."

"What if I return to my old self again?"

"There's an Umi for that."

"Seriously?"

"Hey, nobody becomes the leader of nothing."

The manager's words finally sank deep enough to elicit a response from Honoka, one that involves leaping to hug her mentor from out of the blue. Not a single word was spoken that night, but they both knew what the knee-jerk reaction meant. Even as the night grew darker, time stopped for just the two of them to hug to their hearts' desire.

"I know, I know," the manager said. "I'm sorry, too, Honoka."

 **~O~**

Behind the façade of clear skies and a rain of cherry blossom petals, a great danger lay in wait for a hurrying Honoka. Toast on mouth and hair untied, she dashed fast as the wind blowing against her. Blind corners and barricades did little to slow her down, much less her inner fire fueled by copious amounts of: "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap, oh crap…!"

Every clock she passed along the way made a mockery of her futile attempt to beat the buzzer. They all told her the same, sad story: one minute wasn't going to cut it. She refused to stop running, but a stop sign from the neighborhood officer forced her to hit the brakes. Rush-hour traffic zoomed past as she waited for the chance to hurry again.

Trouble continued to pile up on her plate. A blind corner was a perfect place for a collision between a tardy high school girl and a woman with a bag of groceries. A last-minute slide to the side averted a clean hit.

"Sorry!" cried Honoka without stopping even for tea.

The last hurdle, the stairway, loomed before her. Skipping several steps at a time brought her closer to the school gates with seconds left on the clock. Steady strides seemed to be beating the clock by a narrow margin. Putting her best foot forward, she crossed the finish line, only to be confronted by the morning teacher on gate duty.

"You're late, Ms. Kosaka," the teacher's smirk would enjoy punishing one of her favorite students. "Two minutes late."

"Wait, Teach! I have a good reason for being late," Honoka pleaded.

"Waking up late again?"

"It's not that. Morning practice took longer than expected. We have to be in shape before the next Love Live. Please try to understand."

"Then you should've started practice _earlier_."

Honoka couldn't argue with that logic, not to mention the teacher's smirk. Soon, the buckets would be calling out to her for the umpteenth time, to the teacher's delight. But in the darkest of times, a hero with the impeccable timing of destiny emerges and pulls through for the both of them.

"Sorry, Teach," the manager pulled up beside Honoka, gasping for breath. "I'm at fault for Honoka's tardiness. We had a few things to discuss so practice lasted a bit longer. I take full responsibility."

"Then I'm putting BOTH of you on bucket duty," replied an irritated teacher, catching the attention of the student body that has yet to go inside.

Honoka stopped the manager short of any further argument. "We're both responsible," she winked.

 **RULES OF RESPONSIBILITY  
End**


	7. Kotori 1: Begging to Differ

**IT'S NOT EASY TO AGREE  
** _Kotori Minami's character story_

 **EPISODE I: Begging to Differ**

The manager slammed a leaflet on the table, to the surprise of the girls (and a few stray souls give or take). This early in the morning, sleepyheads like Honoka and Rin leapt out of their dreams and back to reality. The other girls squinted at the leaflet that was unlucky enough to be hit by as much force as a slap in the face. It was a µ's poster, they could see that much. The unreadable fine print, however, raised a lot of eyebrows in the clubroom. What does it say? And why does the manager seem excited to make a fuss about it?

The suspense was lifted before it could kill them. "A charity event," cried the manager.

"A charity event?" asked the girls in unison.

"That's right," said the manager. "µ's has been asked to perform at a fundraising event next week, along with a few other school idol groups. The ticket sales will go to restoring an old schoolhouse near Uchiura."

Maki raised a brow on the idea. "We're going live…for an old schoolhouse?"

"Well, _someone's_ not into charity," Nico mumbled beside her.

"It's plain weird," the fiery redhead turned to Nico for a quick rebuttal.

"I know, I know," the manager called for cooler heads to prevail. "Charity live shows are different from your usual cup of tea. But if µ's pulls this off, it'll be a shot in the arm to the group's popularity. Everyone loves celebrities with talent _and_ hearts of gold."

As gold as the plan seemed on paper, it drew an assortment of faces to the meeting table. A cynical Maki aside, the clubroom tore in half between looks of approval and doubt. On the approval side, Honoka, Rin, Nico, and Hanayo clamored for a chance to do something good. On the doubtful side, Eli, Nozomi, Maki, and Umi raised the matter of upcoming exams. As the scorecard stood at four-all and the silence tensed the stale air, the last person stepped up to break the stalemate.

"Let's do it," Kotori smiled, shocking both the ayes and nays.

"Kotori, are you sure?" Umi asked right away.

"The manager's plan makes sense," Kotori continued. "Don't we all like to get a chance to perform for something more than entertaining people? I think this is the perfect opportunity."

"Well, if you put it that way," Umi replied.

"It won't hurt to give it a try."

No majority, but it was a five-four win in favor of the charity live show. The tense air died down, replaced by one of heightened fervor as the girls get into the details. Costumes came to mind as fast as the decision to perform. What would be the best motif for such a performance? A school uniform, perhaps? Would anyone appreciate fashion dating back over seventy years ago? Their school uniforms, maybe? A lazy solution if the most diehard fans of school idols ever saw one. Indeed, this live show would be unlike anything they've done.

Even Eli, who might as well carry the school's name as student council president, thinks wearing their uniform by default is a bad idea. "I'm not comfortable in taking the school's name elsewhere. At least, not in our state now."

One of Honoka's crazy ideas came to the rescue. "Then why not design a completely different school uniform?"

"A different uniform?" asked Eli in reply.

"There's no problem with wearing a uniform that doesn't carry our school's name, right? We'll stay relevant to the theme _and_ won't cause problems at the same time."

"Well, that's one way of doing things," a worried Eli turned to Kotori.

Somehow, µ's resident fashionista read her mind. "Don't worry. School uniforms are easy to make."

"Okay, you're the expert," Eli relented.

The group's consensus guaranteed that the show would go as planned, to the manager's delight. "If there aren't any objections, then I'll tell the organizers the good news. Let's make this a show worth saving that schoolhouse."

 **~O~**

Rehearsals broke more sweat than the usual, both before and after school, not because of cloudless skies. Voices strained under the pressure of giving it their all, repeating line after line for the sake of perfection. The last few days stirred Otonokizaka's nest of school idols, the girls working their butts off for a show unlike any other. A few sore muscles, mostly from an ill-prepared Hanayo, didn't stop them from training with purpose.

The girls held their pose at the end of one round of rehearsal. They almost got away from Umi's eye for detail, staring at Kotori just as a predator would keep an eye on its prey. Something seemed off.

"Kotori," said Umi. "Try moving one step forward as you strike your pose. At your current position, Nozomi will totally block you off in the finale."

Heeding her best friend's advice, Kotori became more visible to the audience. "Like this?"

"Perfect," Umi replied. "That should cover just about everything."

"What if I just move at the back to give Kotori some exposure?" Nozomi suggested.

"Out of the question," Umi replied. "We all agreed that you and Eli will form the center for this live show. The center must remain untouched."

"I don't feel like Kotori belongs at the back," Honoka pitched in her two cents. "Why don't we move her to the front?"

"Then we'll have to redo our choreography," Maki insisted.

"Nothing we can't do, right?" Honoka replied.

The issue brewed with an irate Nico joining the fray. "But we don't have _time_ to change anything. In case you haven't noticed, we only have less than a week left before the show."

"Big deal," Honoka blew a raspberry at point blank. "We've faced worse, right guys?"

In a house divided, she barely got a nod from the others. If anything, blowing a raspberry gave Nico a reason to start pulling her cheeks like a rubber band. "I'm serious, Honoka!" yelled Nico. "We don't have the time to be fooling around!"

µ's leader retaliated the same way. "Fine! Let's do this the hard way!"

"Stop fooling around and get back to practice, you two!" Maki yelled to no avail.

The cheek-pulling intensified along with their gazes showing their intent on winning over the other. The warring girls closed their ears off to their friends either calling for cooler heads to prevail or scolding them for such impishness. From the sidelines, Kotori reeled at the sight of her good friends quarreling over something so trivial. But as luck would have it, her opinion still managed to reach out to them, calming everyone down.

"Hey, you guys," Kotori said. "I don't mind being in the back."

All eyes were fixed on the school idol of the hour. Even the pair of stooges stopped in the middle of their cheek-pulling standoff, without letting go of each other's cheeks. "Owowri?" the two replied in garbled lingo.

"Kotori, are you sure?" asked Nozomi.

"It's not like this is my first time," Kotori smiled. "Besides, it would be bad for us to make changes when the live show's just around the corner."

Without letting go of her own pull, Honoka broke free of Nico's painful grasp. "But Kotori—"

"Don't worry, Honoka," Kotori said. "I'm not upset. As long as I get to perform with µ's, anything else is good enough for me."

The heat died down in the silence that followed, but not without leaving a bad aftertaste. But there's nothing the girls can do about it. At Umi's beck and call, the girls rallied for another round of dance, one more before calling it a day. Cast by the shadows of the setting sun, Kotori followed her friends through the routine with a smile. Behind that smile lay her true feelings, although these may as well be enigmas in their own right. None of the girls, not even Honoka whom she swore to go with her through hell and back, had any idea.

The girls rehearsed their finale for the last time this day. Despite Umi's suggestion, Kotori landed on the same, obscuring spot. Even worse, not even the manager knew whether or not she meant it.

 **~O~**

Practice for today ended under the last few minutes of sunlight. Beyond the school gates, the girls went their separate ways with hopes of seeing each other tomorrow.

The second years wouldn't be walking home together this time. Honoka made a mad dash for home as soon as practice ended to watch the store (lest face her mother's wrath). Umi, on the other hand, had the unfortunate duty of tutoring Nico in senior-year math (to Maki's hilarity). As a considerate friend, Kotori didn't mind going home alone.

A quick change of shoes later, she stepped outside to see the manager waiting under the shower of blossoms. "Let's walk home together, Kotori."

"But I thought your house is the opposite way," Kotori said.

"I think I can spare an hour or two. I live by myself, after all."

Tension built up high as a tower of Jenga inside Kotori, an invitation for a sleight of hand to pull the weakest link. Does the manager have such a hand? It didn't matter. The last two students walked out of school in silence, a rolling blanket of stars trailing behind. Who will be the one to break the ice? It didn't matter. Kotori shrank under an air of uneasiness, while the manager hardly felt the pressure. Will she yield? It didn't matter.

The manager simply fancies a chat. "By now, you're more or less aware of my reason for walking with you tonight."

"Because of earlier?" asked Kotori in reply.

"Pretty much," the manager replied. "Are you fine with being everyone's yes-man?"

"A…what?"

"A yes-man? Someone who agrees to anything whether it's right or wrong?"

"I don't follow."

It became clear that a long explanation wouldn't work. The manager cut right to the chase. "Kotori, I know you want to see µ's happy. But would it hurt to say no every now and then?"

"But I really don't mind being at the back," Kotori replied. "My only wish is to do my best in all the things I do with µ's. As long as I do that, I won't have any regrets."

"That's cool. But I'm not talking about that. You always agree to whatever the other girls say."

"Is that bad?"

"Of course, it's bad. Sometimes, you _gotta_ be selfish for the benefit of many."

"But being selfish is…"

"Bad? That depends on who you're being selfish to."

Kotori paused to think, but deep down she had nothing else to say. Lucky for her, a quick reminder of an errand bailed her out of the hot seat. "Oh, I just remembered to pick up some stuff on the way home. I'll be fine by myself from here."

Such impromptu could pass off as a crude way of weaseling out of a serious talk. But the manager had little interest on clinging onto the little bird like an obsessed owner. Despite the long, uneasy pause, the manager relented. "Okay. See you tomorrow."

"You too," Kotori's trademark smile hid a stark realization, one not ready for the world to know.


	8. Kotori 2: Dress to Impress

**EPISODE II: Dress to Impress**

Under soft light entering the clubroom window, Kotori's latest work stood out before the audience of her fellow school idols. Bright accents of red, green, and blue radiated in all directions. Seamless stitching pulled through for every square inch of quality fabric used in making the piece. The sets alternated between a bow and a necktie, but every set sported the proud name of µ's in expensive embroidery. The costumes were her pride and joy in art form, anything unlike her past couture.

An air of shock and awe swirled inside the clubroom. The girls, with wanton gazes, saw themselves in the costume of their choice, on the grounds of an unnamed academy in the metropolis enjoying the finite days of high school. Only Kotori's fashion prowess could invoke such imaginations, much less bring out the best in everyone. So far, her forte has never failed to impress.

"So, what do you think?" Kotori asked her audience.

Throwing attention out the window (despite being closed shut), Honoka reached for the red motif. "I call dibs on this one! It practically speaks to me."

"No fair," Nico complained. "I had my eyes set on that one before you did."

"Too slow, Nico," Honoka rubbed her face against the dress as a cat would leave its pheromones on anything it wants. "Can I keep this one after the live show, Kotori? Pretty, pretty please?"

"No problem," Kotori smiled.

Soon, the rest of µ's took their picks, with Honoka and Nico's quarrel over a single article of clothing making for an amusing backdrop. All the while, Kotori kept her smile while watching eight satisfied clients swooning over her piece de resistance.

The manager refused to get involved in the heat of it all but watched with intent. Memories of the brief exchange last night were kept fresh like the questions that came afterward. Did Kotori heed the manager's advice or choose not to? Not even the most skilled bird whisperer could tell what her mind looks like right now. Not with her smile keeping her true feelings out of sight.

Amidst the excitement, Kotori managed to single out a worried Nozomi. Her uniform of choice, one with a green bow, felt off for some reason. It might just be her friend's imagination, but Kotori asked her anyway as a friend who listens.

"What's wrong, Nozomi?" she said.

"This one…doesn't seem like my size," Nozomi pointed to the part of her top where her breasts go. "I'm a bit uncomfortable wearing clothes that fit tightly."

"What are you talking about, Nozomi?" Eli said, marveling at her own choice of uniform. "Don't you love wearing those kinds of clothes?"

"If it's casual, yes," Nozomi said. "School uniforms are a different matter."

Then, as a friend who welcomes suggestions, Kotori replied: "Don't worry, Nozomi. I'll fix it and have it good as new by tomorrow."

"Thanks, Kotori. You're a good friend."

The trend of taking a closer look at their costumes began. As fast as Kotori took Nozomi's request, Rin stepped forward with her reservations. "The uniform feels too heavy to move around in. Can you lighten it up a bit?"

"Okie dokie," Kotori replied.

"Ooh! Ooh! Can you also add cat ears and a tail? I got this brilliant idea of a high school cat girl, nya!"

"Sure thing."

"Thanks a bunch, Kotori. You're a good friend."

Every mere mention of "good friend" raised Kotori's spirits but at the expense of the manager's. As the rest of µ's came forward with their own comments, the manager's eyes twitched in frustration. Choice words from last night fell to deaf ears. Kotori took request after request, each with a promise of satisfaction once done. The mere mention of "good friend" multiple times evolved into a full-on forum on the friendship incarnate known as Kotori Minami.

If only someone brave enough would tell her that she was being too friendly for her own good. In the midst of the hype among friends, the manager left µ's to swoon over trouble in disguise. "I need to use the restroom."

Kotori raised her head above the tight crowd, high enough to see the manager leave.

 **~O~**

An empty restroom played to the tune of hands bathing under running water. As with a school that escaped closure by the skin of its teeth, the restroom lacked a bar of soap (much less the money to buy one). Yet, ancient times never needed soap to free one's self of liability. The manager's hands settled on pure water, following proper hand washing procedures to a T and topping it off with a dry towel. One minute made a pair of hands free of grime and obligation, not necessarily bacteria.

The restroom also offered the ideal place for two troubled souls to settle things. Kotori's chase, for that matter, ended the moment she stepped foot inside. Alone sans the thought of infatuation, the two had a lot to catching up to do from last night.

"Hey," a hesitant Kotori opened the dialogue. "Does this…bother you? I…I just…"

The manager was in no mood to open her jar of pickles. "When can you have the changes done?"

"What? Um…I can finish everything by tomorrow."

"The changes have to be perfect. Settle for this Sunday."

"Well, I…"

"If you need a hand, I can drop by and help you out."

"No, it's okay. I can do it myself."

"With that many requests? I don't think so."

"Please, I have to do this."

The exchange of words stopped. Kotori held her burdened heart close, the frantic urge to complete a personal errand closer. Tight lips concealed her reason for doing so, but she was never good at hiding her body language. The unceasing fiddling and shirking read of a struggle of emotions within, one dating back perhaps before following Honoka into the school idol world.

"Why are you so gung-ho about this?" the manager sighed. "The event's not until next week. There's no need to rush."

Kotori replied with utter silence. The manager's words were hitting home, but the dilemma more or less remained the same. There was just no persuading her to change her outlook in life as a whole.

"If you're serious about altering the outfits, then at least take time doing them," the manager added. "I don't want the live show to suffer."

The little bird finally perched on the manager's side. "Okay. I promise to do them carefully."

"Cross your heart, hope to fly?"

"Win Love Live before we die."

"Good."

An odd way of sealing the deal, but at least they found some closure. Together, they emerged from the bathroom with a mutual understanding.


	9. Kotori 3: Clipped Wings

**EPISODE III: Clipped Wings**

"Kotori's not here yet," a worried Umi noticed the seconds trickle away like a leaky tap. First period loomed ever closer as time's hands inched toward 8:00 a.m. And of the other periods, the first one isn't known to shown mercy to the tardy, even to model students.

Honoka had another reason to be worried. "Doesn't she know we have a math test today?"

"I don't think that's it," Umi slowly shifted her glance to Honoka. "It's not like Kotori to forget about stuff like this. Unlike a certain someone…"

"Did you really just glance at me, Umi?"

"Did you study for the test today?"

"Do you take me for an idiot?"

"So you _did_ study?"

"No."

"I figured as much."

"Is it even legal to give tests on a Saturday?"

"You're missing the point, Honoka."

Umi looked at her watch again and watched the last few seconds tick before 8:00 a.m. In a display of perfect timing, however, the door staggered at the impact of a person not paying attention to where she was going. The door slid open for a flustered Kotori, her forehead glowing faint red from the hit. Her besties almost jumped for joy after seeing her make it in the nick of time.

And what better way to celebrate a close call than watching Kotori trip upon entering and slamming face-first in the podium? The door may not have left much of a mark, but the podium certainly will.

Reeling from what may as well be a short comedy skit, Honoka and Umi raced to an injured Kotori. A faceplant never hurt anyone as much as a punch to the face, so she'll live to tell her ridiculous tale.

"Owie…" Kotori groaned while getting back up.

"Kotori, are you okay?" Honoka asked.

"A little dizzy, but I'll be fine."

"Geez, what happened? You seem out of it."

"Sorry. I didn't hear my alarm off."

Like a proud mother, Honoka dusted off Kotori's uniform of dirt from the nosedive. "The important thing is that you're here. You don't want to get on the teacher's bad side this early in the day."

"Oh, no. Not at all," Kotori replied.

"Good. Because I'm in deep trouble. Can I borrow your notes?"

"H-Huh? Notes?"

One quick shove of Honoka's face to the side later, a stoic Umi gave the lowdown. "Honoka didn't study for the test today."

Kotori's pale look fell short of Honoka's dread, but the news staggered her just as much. Cold feet froze her in place despite the warm morning, yet her terrified gaze bounced from place to place. With sweaty hands also came a sweaty face, trembling at the premonition of a failing grade. All this and more happened in a span of seconds, with everyone in the room all but clueless to her fear. Did it imply that she was as unprepared as Honoka?

The teacher entered the room before anyone could crack the mystery open. "Settle down, everyone. It's time for the exam."

By no means was this Kotori being saved by the bell. First, no bell tolled. Second, the teacher's eerie glance scared her stiff as she proceeded to her seat. At this point, there was no use in hiding her fear from her friends who could only glance for a split second lest earning the teacher's ire.

Soon, the dreaded papers went around the class. Even the smartest girl in class beside Kotori shook in fear before the scope of the test. Receiving her copy, Kotori herself went pale at the sight of walls of text wrapped around graphs, lines, and equations that would drive Einstein to drink. The pen on her hand trembled along with the name of its wielder on paper.

"You have until the end of the period to finish the test," the teacher said. "You may begin."

 **~O~**

The iceberg of trouble went deeper as the unforgiving day carried on. Not a single period finished without teachers showing concern for a scatterbrained Kotori. In nearly every chance for recitation, she flopped hard at questions the rest of the class answered with ease. While not as smart as Umi, she wasn't much of a ditz like Honoka. To see her fail in something as simple as recitation felt like discovering a new side of her.

And just like that, Kotori was once again face-to-face with one of the teachers for her unusual lack of focus. Déjà vu kicked in as Honoka and Umi watched their friend take the teacher's stinging sermon. At its climax, the teacher wondered if the whole "school idol nonsense" was causing more harm than good, to which Kotori argued otherwise with ferocity. As much as she didn't want any of that baloney, Honoka—at Umi's urging hand—resisted entering the fray.

The admonishment didn't take as long as the wait for the next Love Live. Shrugging off her troubles of the past few hours, Kotori joined her friends and made for the clubroom. Extra credit homework, while unjust in Honoka's eyes, seemed like a better alternative to a heart-to-heart with the director. No other form of shame could rival that from being reprimanded by her own mother.

For all her share of misfortune today, however, Kotori had a reason to look forward to afterschool practice. The girls entered the room to a frenzied welcome by Rin's over-the-top urge to blurt out "Nya!" every few seconds. Her feline-themed getup, a revision of Kotori's costumes from the other day, might have something to do with it.

"Welcome, nya!" Rin flapped her arms in hopes of flying out of excitement. "We've been waiting for you three, nya!"

"Rin?" Kotori replied in disbelief but beamed at the sight of her getup being put to (somewhat) good use. "Your outfit's adorable!"

"I know, right?" Rin's flapping picked up speed, to Nico and Maki's discomfort. "I _love_ what you did to my costume, nya! I can express myself free as the wind, nya!"

"Kotori, do something," Maki snapped. "She's been saying 'nya' ever since she donned that costume. What did you even put in there?"

"Just a pair of cat ears and a furry tail, as Rin requested," Kotori explained.

μ's resident kitty cat unleashed her inner feline toward Nico, brushing against her. "Nya, nya, nya, nya, nya, nya!"

"Hey, Rin!" Nico struggled to push Rin away, but the kitty's claws had sunken too deep. "You're being ridiculous! Get off me!"

"Never, nya!" Rin yelled.

Even Hanayo thought the costume added too much Rin-ness. "It's not unusual for her to be excited. But I think this is a tad too much, even for me."

"Thanks for the heads-up, Captain Obvious," said Nico. "Now help me get this kitty cat off me."

Hanayo came prepared for such an occasion. With an open vial of emergency catnip, Rin released Nico from her clawed grasp in favor of an aroma of calm. The incessant "Nya" from earlier subsided for the time being. "Good thing the pet store had a sale on catnip," Hanayo said.

"Unbelievable," Maki sighed in disbelief.

With Eli and Nozomi's arrival, the girls gathered around for a quick briefing. An air of tension forced the frenzy from earlier out the door. Given that the live show was a hop, skip, and jump away, they understood the feeling.

"The manager won't be coming today due to an errand," Eli began. "Regardless, we have to discuss the upcoming live show. We've pretty much done most on the list. Only the choreography remains, but I also want to see how we look in our costumes."

"I take it that we'll be doing a dress rehearsal today," Umi said.

"That's right," Eli said. We don't have much time, so we'll have to make every minute count."

Despite the catnip, Rin still had bursts of vigor in store. "I can't wait to wear my costume, nya!"

"You're already wearing it, Rin," Hanayo said.

"Am I, nya?" Rin replied.

Two full claps from Eli regained everyone's attention. "Okay, pick out your costumes and go get changed. Can you help us out, Kotori?"

Ever the type of friend everyone can curl up to, Kotori agreed with all her heart. "Leave it to me."

"Thanks," Eli smiled. "You're a good friend."

"Leave it to Kotori to be always there for a friend," Nozomi added.

In the midst of turbulent winds, the little bird found safety in the comforting words of her flock. The flurry of praise added to her much-needed respite, seeing the cheerful exchange of looks and words among the girls wearing her work. It seemed that she found solace among her friends in μ's.

Or maybe the gods are just toying with her.


	10. Kotori 4: Dress-up Screw-up

**EPISODE IV: Dress-up Screw-up**

Sunset approached with haste, yet the last few hours of the day irradiated the roof with as much heat as noon. Sweat from relentless motion dyed Kotori's fabulous couture a darker hue under a blistering afternoon. Gasps for breath came every few steps of the entire routine as much as they tried hiding them with their singing.

Save for the costumes, however, this rehearsal seemed like any other. Step after step, the girls not only nailed the choreography but made it even better with subtle changes along the way. The steps matched the clapping rhythm to a T. Not one second did any of the girls fumbled with the right foot at the wrong time (or vice-versa).

So why do they look like they're about to drop from fatigue? Let alone from the heat?

"That…was…AWESOME!" Honoka broke out of the group finale out of the thrill of a flawless run. "We're gonna rock that live show for sure!"

"Not to mention these costumes are a breeze to wear," a free-spirited Nozomi twirled out of joy, not minding her loose top.

Honoka gave Kotori a hug with all of the world's love. "Kotori, you're amazing! These uniforms are exactly what we wanted."

"Oh…um, thank you. That means a lot," Kotori replied, hiding a hint of disdain as she looked at her revised couture.

What expert in fashion wouldn't? Nozomi's baggy top kept swinging all over the place enough to drive a symmetry freak insane. The top would swing opposite of where her rack wanted to, if not her rack refused to move at all. Meanwhile, Honoka almost fell into a swoon at the flurry of bows and ribbons in her uniform. At the edge of her sleeves, a large one at the back of her skirt, and rows of miniatures arranged like a war veteran's collection of accolades, ribbons and bows went crazy for Honoka who turned into a walking rack of ribbons in return.

And that was just the beginning. A full complement of feline stuff—ears, tail, and everything in between—unleashed Rin's inner kitty. On all fours, she ran around the rooftop from end to end, restless as the mammal that defines her. "I feel awesome, nya!"

"Oh dear," sighed Hanayo. "Rin's running all over the place again."

Nothing a handful of emergency catnip can't calm down and settle for Hanayo's tight leggings. Rin's cat ears brushed against thin nylon, pointy edges pressing too close for comfort. But it's not just her ears. The changes Rin wished for included a pair of paws and claws that, while not made out of edgy material, tickled.

"Cut it out, Rin," said a flustered Hanayo. "That tickles."

"Not until I get belly rubs, nya," Rin brushed against her friend's legs even more.

"B-Belly rubs?"

"And I want ramen, nya!"

"R-Ramen?"

Two claps earned everyone's attention, this time coming from Umi and her knee-length skirt. "Okay, everyone, good work. But I feel we can do a bit better. Once more, from the top."

The girls began practice right away the first time, but not one of them budged on the second. Stoic gazes and line abreast, they just had to know. What does Umi have to hide behind her skirt that covered her knees and a bit of everything below? By now, miniskirts should be all too common in every live show the girls make.

It also didn't help that the skirt barely swung with Umi's every twist and turn. Did Kotori make her skirt out of crushed rocks? That would be a first in fashion history if it were the case.

"Umi," Honoka spoke on the stoic group's behalf. "Are you even fine with that skirt?"

"What are you talking about?" Umi replied. "It's just what I wanted. I'm okay with it."

"You're the only person who insisted against the default length. You're gonna look like a big dork out there, Umi. I'm telling you."

"Says the one who insisted on covering herself in ribbons."

"At least I'm not afraid to hide my legs!"

Nico's agitation pulled the cheeks of both feuding parties to make them stop. "Enough! This is no time to quarrel over whose wardrobe is better."

From Umi's long skirt, indifferent eyes shifted toward Nico's alteration baring too much skin for a family-friendly live show. The collar ran the risk of baring any hint of cleavage. Her bare armpits embraced the sweet breeze. Her skirt—the shortest among the group—teased any diehard fans a bit of eye candy. Look up "shameless" in the dictionary and it might just have an image of Nico in her bare choice of couture beside it.

"You're no different, Nico," Honoka smirked. "What are you even wearing?"

"Got a problem?" Nico replied in disgust. "School idols have to learn to show some skin every now and then. It comes with the job."

"That's _way_ too much skin, Nico," Umi said.

"I don't know. Nico-cchi might need all that skin," Nozomi giggled.

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean, Nozomi?" flared Nico.

Even Maki thought the outfit looked too daring. "Give it up, Nico. You're simply showing way too much skin, as Umi said."

Instead of convincing her otherwise, it only infuriated µ's little imp. "Well, I don't recall questioning _your_ taste in fashion, Maki!"

The girls may as well do, as Maki's costume could never have too much of the color red. From her striped necktie to the shoes, they saw what the color of love and war would look like if it had two feet and the temper of an impressionable 15-year-old.

"Whoa!" remarked a surprised Rin. "Maki's redder than a tomato, nya!"

"Did you have to insist that everything _must_ be red?" Nico raised a brow.

Shrinking to the size of a cherry tomato, Maki stood by her preference in alteration. "What's your deal? I like red."

This seemed showing a tad too much love for the crimson hue. Regardless, the point grew moot as Eli called the girls' attention with an orchestra of studded bells. "Come on, girls. We need to polish our choreography today. Otherwise, we won't be ready."

"And what's up with your getup?" Nico glared.

"What's wrong?" Eli looked at the plethora of bells and chimes studded all over her blazer. "I think it adds character to my uniform."

"You're a school idol, not a wind chime."

"Well, you're a school idol. Not some showgirl."

"What did you just call me?"

No way practice would be able to start with everyone either in a feud with everyone or in their own little world. The variety in their costumes added to the chaos, chimes ringing and Rin meowing non-stop. Amidst this unwanted atmosphere, Kotori stepped in to calm everyone down. "Come on, girls. We all look fantastic in our costumes. Let's just leave it at that."

Being good friends, the girls lent an ear to the little bird's call. Some looks of distrust remained, but they managed to exchange smiles in an awkward situation.

"I guess arguing about it is pointless when we're all in this together," Honoka said. "Let's get back to practice."

 **~O~**

Back in formation, µ's prepared to give it their all and more despite being another practice run. The success of the group so far is—and always will be—attributed to treating practice like an actual live show. Their brand of eloquence sent a clear message to any pair of eyes passing by. They wouldn't hold back today, tomorrow, or ever.

To the side, Kotori held her pose with the rest, waiting for the cue from the center. "One, two," they broke out in fluid motion at the beat of the song designed for such a live show. Sweat tossed across the rooftop floor, only to dry up as fast as it landed. Their steps rasped against the flatness of their practice space. Little by little, the show they would put up in the coming days manifested, due in no small part of Kotori's masterpieces.

Success, however, always comes with hidden costs, as the girls are about to find out. It started with Hanayo struggling to move her legs in tight leggings. Getting bogged down in the most important part of the number didn't sit well with the eagle-eyed Umi.

"Hanayo, what's wrong?" Umi continued to clap to the beat. "You're slowing down."

"S-Sorry," Hanayo picked up the pace, only to freak out at the sound of tearing fabric. A gaping hole tore across her leggings, which threw her out of balance. The pockets in her blazer spilled catnip all over the floor, which Rin dove for in frenzy.

The chain reaction continued as Rin grabbed the tail end of Honoka's large ribbon behind her skirt out of impulse. Surprised, Honoka lost her footing and grabbed Kotori by the rim of her sleeve, who grabbed Nozomi by her loose top. Despite their efforts to stay standing, almost half of µ's fell out of formation.

"Stop screwing around, you guys," Nico offered a helping hand, just as soon as one of her exposed patches of skin got poked by Rin's pointy cat ears. Not enough to cut a wound open, but just right to send Nico shrieking and reeling.

"Hey Nico, what's—" Eli got knocked back by a falling Nico before she could do anything. Her proud plethora of bells and chimes spilled out of their subpar stitching.

Umi and Maki walked up to their fellow idols' aid. In their haste, however, their feet slipped on the bells and fell. In the last few inches, however, they steered toward one another to save themselves. Instead, to everyone's shock (especially Nico), they steered toward a brief episode of romance as their lips touched dead center. It didn't help that Umi and Maki turned from a surprised couple in the first 15 seconds to girls loving the way one smooches the other.

A thousand imaginations flashed inside Nico's head, but that's a story for another time.

Lying on the floor in more ways than one, the girls tended to the damage to their uniforms. Eli lost most of her bells, Nozomi's top got looser, Hanayo's leggings were torn beyond repair, Honoka's back ribbon drifted off into the sky, Nico tried to shrug off the pain from a pointy object at the right place, and Umi and Maki couldn't look each other in the eye. If anyone had survived the fall intact, it had to be Kotori with the default uniform—no alterations whatsoever.

All the more reason for the manager, who found time to make a quick stop before going home, to give Kotori a wary look.

"Kotori," the manager said in a grim tone. "Clubroom. Now."


	11. Kotori 5: Kotori's Foot Down

**EPISODE V: Kotori's Foot Down**

In the silence and messy chairs of the clubroom, before the manager and the rest of µ's plastering their ears to the door from the lockers, a defeated Kotori bares all.

Every mention of her being a "good friend" lifted her spirits. Who wouldn't? More importantly, who would waste good trust from her friends by begging to differ? The fear of losing such trust decided for Kotori every step of the way, from breaking the deadlock to tailoring the costumes. For that, she earned enough accolades to fill the clubroom shelves.

"But at what cost?" the manager's flurry of words stung Kotori in different places at once. "Not only did you make those impractical alterations, you also sacrificed your academics just to get it done in a hurry."

"I'm…sorry," Kotori shrank in shame.

"You disregarded my instructions to take your time with these costumes. And the live show is the day after tomorrow."

This point in the lecture, any further utterances of apology were pointless. Kotori braced for more waves of stinging words, as well as the guilt of being a yes-man she lugged around for the longest time. The character that makes a yes-man became clear to her now, a minute too late to undo the damage her actions have done. Behind the door, Umi held back Honoka and her itch to intervene on their friend's behalf.

On the brink of tears, Kotori sobbed under the manager's words. But her eyes stopped short of the waterworks upon hearing the manager plead. "Don't be like me."

"What do you mean?" asked Kotori in reply.

The manager hesitated to unpack a memory hidden in the depths for a good reason, but a long story was in order. Everyone would know about it sooner or later, so why not get it done as early as now? It told the tale of an eccentric youngster putting a _senpai_ role model on a pedestal higher than the worth of the youngster's life. Much of the life of the then- _kouhai_ manager revolved around "a real-life Mary Sue."

"Always in the Top Ten in exams, captain of swimming and tennis teams, Student Council president, campus beauty," the manager's impressions of the _senpai_ goes on and on. "She had it all. A real-life Mary Sue if I ever saw one. Even her name was actually Mary. Funny, huh?"

"I'd follow her to hell and back because of that," the manager added. "Her advice always worked for me, especially when I was in deep trouble. I became close with her, and so did everyone else."

Then, as with any story of failure in success's clothing, a single day changed everything. This part of the story saw the manager waver, yet pushed through with the tale.

"One time, Mary asked me to get her something to drink," the manager continued. "Of course, being the mindless follower I was, I went to the vending machine."

Kotori swallowed her anxiety in anticipation of a climax. "What happened?"

"When I got back, I saw some students yelling at her. Turns out that they followed her advice but didn't get the results they want."

"Oh. I see…"

And so began Mary's fall from grace, almost taking the manager with her. One unfortunate event after another, every stepping stone she spent her whole life reaching collapsed with each perilous step. The manager, on the other hand, stayed put. The stone underneath wobbled on the verge of falling like the rest. From the end of the road, the manager watched Mary take futile steps until she fell into the chasm from which not even light can escape.

But it all seemed like dark humor, laughter and sorrow vying for control over the manager's heart. In the spirit of what-ifs, the alternative scenario dawned on both the manager and Kotori. What if the manager's naïveté persisted? What if Mary continued to be the quintessential role model? Too bad such queries won't have clear-cut answers. Narrating the tragedy alone had already proven a burden, let alone thinking about it.

"That was the last I heard from her," the manager said. "Had I kept following her, I would've fallen."

"But…it wasn't your fault," Kotori replied.

"Might as well be. I've never forgiven myself for being too naïve."

"What does this all have to do with me, though?"

"A lot of things."

Not about to let her fly, fear's vise hands gripped the little bird's wings. She feared the first big step to a bigger change. "What if my friends don't approve of me? What if I lose them over something that I believe is right?"

"If everyone was right about everything, then what's the point of it all?" the manager replied. "Why bother making hundreds of school idol groups when we can all stick to one template? Why bother making tons of songs when a single composition works? Why buy clothing that fits all sizes when it obviously won't fit Godzilla? Where's the fun in that?"

A stunned Kotori felt like lending both ears to a sermon that somewhat made sense. Somewhere in a parallel universe, a certain kaiju sneezed and let loose a rain of fire on a burning metropolis. The latter wasn't their problem.

"Nobody gets anything right," the manager continued. "We just happen to be less wrong than the next person. And that's okay. That's how life is supposed to work."

"But what do I do?" Kotori said out of panic. "What if they start disliking me? What if—"

"Do you honestly think the girls will shun you from µ's just for that?"

"Well, no…but—"

"Bet you a burger those girls realized they're wrong after that hot mess of a rehearsal earlier. Bet you a side of fries they should've listened to the _less wrong_ Kotori Minami."

"Um…"

"Not enough? Bet you a drink they'll need you more than ever."

For all their worth, Kotori took the manager's words to heart. The burden still remained, but no longer keeping her down in the deck. There was only one more thing left. "What should I do now?"

With a cunning grin, the manager slid the door to the lockers open. The rest of µ's spilled into the clubroom the same way a tower of Jenga collapses. "Time to put your foot down."

 **~O~**

µ's would never doubt its resident fashionista again after this telling off. To be fair, however, Kotori takes some of the blame for not speaking her mind out when everyone needed it the most. In front of the girls whose choices made them look silly, she mustered the words. The fear of losing friends made it hard for her, but no other alternative existed.

Bluntness was the way to start. The girls' requests made a mishmash of everything but the kitchen sink, an affront to the world of fashion. Honoka and Eli had no reason to pepper their uniforms with ribbons and bells. Rin had no reason to unleash her inner cat to the point of turning into one under a full moon (which thankfully didn't happen). Hanayo had no right to ask for tight leggings when they did more harm than good. Umi had no right to defeat the purpose of the uniform with a long skirt and her dislike for short ones. Maki had no business trying to compete with tomatoes in a game of redness. Nozomi had no business wearing loose clothing that swayed more than her cans.

Above all else, Nico almost turned the family-friendly Love Live into a rated-R hot mess.

"And for that, aside from everything else, we're sticking to my first designs," Kotori said.

Shock and disbelief signed everyone's faces and gasps. "What?"

"But they're boring," Nico protested. "School idols have to stand out all the time. You can't just hold a live show with plain fashion."

"I know they're not as flashy as our other designs," Kotori replied. "But they're the best for this kind of live show. We _are_ trying to save a run-down school, right?"

"Well, yeah but…"

A brief pause raised the tension inside the room. But what Kotori said afterward allayed it. "All this time, I've always worked with bringing out the best in µ's in mind. I always give it my all, whether I'm placed at the back or designing our costumes. It's not like I don't want to be in the limelight or anything. I just want for the nine of us to do our best in everything we do, not just in live shows."

"Kotori," replied an inspired Umi. "I didn't realize you felt that way all along."

"Listening to the manager a while ago made me realize something important," Kotori continued. "At the time, I just wanted for all of us to get along. That's why I kept agreeing on everyone's opinions. But it wasn't bringing out the best in µ's. That's not what I want."

"Oh wow, Kotori," said Hanayo in complete awe.

All the respect in the room lowered their heads in Kotori's self-esteem. "I'm sorry for not being true to myself. But now I know what I want. Let's all do our best no matter what it takes."

A unanimous wave of ayes swept across the room and flooded it with inspiration. Animated chatter pushed the morose air out the door, replacing it with one of encouragement. The manager watched the girls mark another milestone in their journey to become the best. Credit is also due for a certain kaiju used as a metaphor of sorts. Not that it needed such a thing anyway.

"I'm proud of you, Kotori," the manager gave her a pat in the back.

"I couldn't have done it without you," Kotori giggled.

 **IT'S NOT EASY TO AGREE**

 **End**


	12. Umi 1: Caught in the Middle

**AIM TRUE, LET FLY**

 _Umi Sonoda's character story_

 **EPISODE I: Caught in the Middle**

Save for the howl of a sudden gust and the panicked chirping of the birds caught in it, a holy silence reigned within the walls of the range. Yet, even the signs all over the range urging silence couldn't prevent as little as the creak of the wooden floor from making a sound. The idle chatter of the youth fancying a round of _kyudo_ kept breaking the rules they swore to uphold in sacred ground, let alone their footsteps sinking in loose areas of the floor. Across no-man's land, the flurry of thuds from hits and misses of the bull's-eye added to the inconvenience.

All these and more were but minor troubles for a certain youth whose focus reached the bounds of nirvana. Shrugging them off as she would pesky dust, Umi picked up her bow for one more shot at the eye before calling it a day. Close to perfection, her form became the envy of her peers. Her one-track mind shot an invisible beam down the range to the coveted center. One shot is all it takes.

With truthful aim, Umi let the arrow fly to its unknown fate. The head pierced the wall of another gust and out the other side seemingly unfazed. But not even form and focus from Otonokizaka's seasoned archer was a match for nature's sardonic play. What everyone thought would be a dead-center hit fell short of the eye. The gust got the last laugh as it left a bewildered range.

Regardless, by all means was the shot impressive. Her peers erupted in applause despite Umi seeing the frustration as not worth a clap. "I'm sorry. I should've waited for the wind to die down instead."

"Are you kidding?" said one of her awed peers. "That was a nice shot. I don't think anyone here can even come close to your skill level."

"That's a bit much," a flustered Umi shrank.

"Even with your time as a school idol, your archery still manages to stay in top form."

"Of course it does. I would _never_ give up one for the other."

"Of course you won't. Sorry for the silly question."

The sunset marked the end of _kyudo_ practice, the last before a big event. Umi's shot did wonders for the club's jittery morale, especially with something bigger than the event itself at stake. The tension almost broke them at a crucial time, but they could count on their ace to pull through for them. Still, nothing would be decided until the big day, which Umi and a few of her fellows discussed over a change of clothes in the lockers.

"I can't believe it's that time of the year again," Umi began.

"I know, right?" replied another of her peers. "I swear, the _kyudo_ regionals don't seem to be a yearly thing anymore. They're happening more often."

"You're fine," Umi said. "The anxiety's just getting to you."

"Ha, ha, ha…maybe you're right."

Back in her school uniform, Umi closed her locker shut and in lock and key. A hot meal and hot bath beckoned for her to return home. "Well, I'm going on ahead. See you tomorrow."

The handful in the lockers bid their adieus in various ways. Before Umi could walk out of anyone's sight, one of her peers stopped her. "Umi, wait!"

She stopped short of the doorway. "What's wrong?"

"Have you heard of the rumors?"

"Rumors?"

Judging by everyone's grim looks, the inevitable bad news forced Umi's attention its way. Tonight's hot meal and hot bath would have to wait a little longer. She had seen her friends' faces before: the same looks she, Honoka, and Kotori sported upon knowing that their beloved school was on the verge of shutting down. With the school guaranteed to live on for at least another year thanks to the efforts of µ's, that couldn't be the bad news.

The truth was far more sinister. "You know Eagle Eye, right?"

"The player from Saitama?" asked Umi in reply.

"He'll be representing Saitama in the regionals. Our old nemesis."

"Is that a fact?"

Overall morale pulled a one eighty in an instant. The zeal that filled the range all but dissipated in the air of doom and gloom. The thought of defeat weighed on their minds as much as the fear of the mere utterance of the moniker. Otonokizaka would be facing him again, a small chance to win for the school or a curb-stomp battle as it has been for the last couple years.

Despite the awareness, Umi didn't join her peers in realizing their inevitable doom. "It's too early to throw in the towel. Keep in mind that he's up against the whole of Kanto. Not just Otonokizaka."

"But the press says he's expected to win," one of her peers said.

"That won't say as much as the actual competition," Umi replied. "The winner will be decided down the range with a true aim and a straight shot."

"But we—"

"Remember what our former captain told us before she left. Be more afraid of doing nothing to win than doing everything to lose."

Their _senpai's_ words eased the pressure gripping them inside. Some of the fervor lost earlier even began trickling back and filling them enough to rally around their ace. The name "Eagle Eye" never tolled for Otonokizaka's defeat again. And it would never be mentioned again in this timeline.

Soon, the idle chatter turned to Umi, who had the best chance of bringing home the bacon for her beloved school. A better chance of winning, after all, is better than having zilch. "I know we can count on Umi to pull through in the regionals."

"Come on," Umi blushed. "You're giving me way too much credit."

"You deserve the credit. Not only are you skilled in _kyudo_ , you're also a talented school idol. Best of both worlds, I'd say."

Umi's redness rivaled that of Maki's hair. "Knock it off. Being a school idol is a separate affair."

"I don't think so. You've become calmer ever since you joined µ's. Did Honoka do something to you? Because it's really effective."

"I…guess you can say that."

Deep down, Umi consented to admitting it. µ's—let alone Honoka—had been influential in more ways than anyone could imagine. She hid her smile in front of a team that regained its fire after a little pep talk. Her love for _kyudo_ filled her as much as her love for µ's did. Not even fate would dare think of a way to put her to the test, perhaps by pitting these two things against each other.

But ever the trickster, fate already found a way. All it needed was the right moment.

 **~O~**

All was quiet in Otonokizaka once more with the last students retiring for the day. Umi parted ways with the rest of the club members and began walking home alone. Or so she thought until she saw Kotori by the swing, close to imitating a bird on its perch.

"Good work today, Umi," Kotori greeted.

"Kotori?" a surprised Umi replied. "I thought you already went home."

"Honoka was worried that you'd get sad walking home alone," Kotori explained. "Since she had to watch the shop tonight, I elected to wait for you."

Umi sighed at the silliness of her friend's good intentions. "Good grief, Honoka. We're not in grade school anymore."

"Aw, don't be like that. She's only trying to be a good friend."

"I know, I know. Come on, it's getting dark."

Neither Umi nor Kotori was in a rush to get home, although they minded the darkening sky beyond the horizon. Caught between the sunset hue and the starry sky, the two had a lot of catching-up to do. A lot can happen over the course of the day, which Umi wants to know after leaving afterschool practice early for _kyudo_. It may not be a bad idea, seeing that a spot in the nationals was at stake.

Apart from the usual practice, as well as a bit of roughhousing, the mention of a talk show caught her attention on the fly. "A talk show?"

"Yup," Kotori explained. "µ's has been invited to a talk show. Apparently, they saw µ's as a budding group that has what it takes to win Love Live in the future. So they want to make a special episode about us along with a live show."

"They really saw us like that?"

"I know, right? It's hard to believe, but our hard work's finally paying off."

"What did the others say?"

"Imagine how thrilled the manager was upon hearing the news. The others were excited, too."

Then along came the matter of the date. A simple conflict in the schedule, for the most part, may as well be a setup for a character's struggle. Aware that said character may as well be her, Umi said the magic word out of the blue. "When?"

The big reveal deferred for now. "The TV station's still making arrangements. They'll inform Eli as soon as they're ready."

The hand of relief lifted a huge weight off Umi's chest. "Oh…I see."

"With any luck, this will give µ's the exposure it needs," after which, Kotori changed the subject on the fly. "So, how was _kyudo_ practice today?"

"Just another day in the office," Umi smiled.

An hour all but passed before the girls went their separate ways. Umi was alone once more, but the walk with Kotori helped get her pre-tournament jitters out of the way. In fact, with µ's upcoming appearance on national TV, her heart skipped a beat or two. Getting both done would be a feat in itself, assuming that she wouldn't be forced to choose between the two.

Arriving home, Umi's phone rang with a new message. It was from the trickster.


	13. Umi 2: Mind Over Matter

**EPISODE II: Mind Over Matter**

The thrill of the talk show fueled today's practice, each doing their best to be better than yesterday. It comes to no surprise, as it has always been the idea of daily training. Be it a chance to appear on national TV or an event closer to home, µ's treats any chance to shine like their last. Every muscle in their body probably hurt after several runs of their number, with little time to catch a breather, but everyone had gotten used to it. In the words of a certain (and would-be) school idol, "Pain is but a state of mind."

As soon as practice leader Eli called for a five-minute break, everyone and their ancestors dropped dead tired on the floor. The sounds of fatigue varied from a simple "Owie" to "Oh my God, can't feel my legs." They got used to the pain, but it didn't mean the pain would go away anytime soon. Then again, if every aching part of their body meant improving their odds in Love Live, µ's wouldn't have it any other way.

"Good work, everyone," Umi passed around bottles of water. "Looks like we'll be ready in time for the big show next week."

Hanayo's water shook with her grip. "A live show on national TV. I'm nervous."

"Aw, don't be," Honoka grinned. "Think of it as a live show with the whole country watching."

"That's not exactly reassuring, Honoka," Umi sighed. "Still, this is a big break for µ's. I didn't think anyone would have any sort of interest in us."

"You can thank the manager for that," Eli chuckled, turning to the manager to turn the floor over.

"That's way too much credit," the manager chuckled. "But yeah, µ's caught the school idol world's attention, way back when you guys were forced to pull out."

Honoka shrank in shame, but the rest paid little attention to her misdeed. They thought they had buried that part of µ's history six feet under, only to realize that along with it came a silver lining. For rising school idols dancing and singing their way toward Love Live to withdraw at the last minute, the thought provoked the curious among the industry. What would've happened on that Love Live had µ's not pulled out? Would the group have succeeded in dethroning A-RISE? Would Season 2 have been rendered moot?

"Hardly there, but word going around is that µ's is a 'threat' to A-RISE," the manager continued. "If µ's maintain this momentum, it'll be a slap in the face to school idols everywhere."

"Slap in the face?" asked Rin in reply. "Are we trying to pick a fight?"

"Don't take it literally, Rin," Maki said. "But this means the battle will only grow even harder from here. Correct?"

"Right," the manager nodded. "That's why µ's needs to be ready for anything after this."

"Eek! Now I'm even more nervous," Hanayo said.

Leave it to Kotori to deliver the most reassuring smile in the universe. "Don't worry, Hanayo. We'll all be on stage dancing and singing together."

"Sharing the burden of anxiety among those you hold dear," Nozomi remarked. "Friendship is a wonderful thing."

"I'm just glad the _nine_ of us will be there," Honoka said, much to Umi's sudden melancholy given due emphasis on "nine." Around the latter, idle chatter over ice cold water continued unabated.

"Okay, let's get back to practice," Eli stood up and called the girls' attention. "Can you lead us this time, Umi?"

An eerie silence shouldn't have followed a simple request from one of µ's capable members. The girls caught a rare glimpse of Umi in a slump stunned. Honoka managed to snap her out of her trance. "Hey, Umi!"

"Wha—huh? Honoka?" Umi snapped.

"Are you okay? You spaced out."

"Oh, I'm fine. I just thought of something."

"About what?"

"Nothing important. Let's get back to practice."

"Well…if you say so…"

Back in formation, Umi led this round of practice with her clapping. "One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight," the girls kept up with her flawless rhythm, at least for the first minute. For the sake of the live show, she kept her stoicism in front of her fellow school idols.

As practice dragged on, however, the rhythm teetered on the verge of derailing. From a subtle flub, her counts soon began flying all over the place along with her claps. The stoicism she grew to be known for among µ's all but dissipated, inviting worried looks from the rest of the group plus one stern telling-off from Eli. "Umi, you're off beat. Focus."

She briefly stopped from clapping. "I'm sorry. Let's take it from the top."

"Not feeling well?" said Eli.

"No, I'm fine," replied Umi.

"If you say so."

Those who say they're okay usually aren't. Umi is no exception. She restored the rhythm, only to be ruined by a lack of focus. "Not again. I'm really sorry."

"Maybe I should take over," Eli said. "Why don't you join up with the others?"

"I guess that would be wise."

 **~O~**

Perhaps it's just one of those lethargic days. After all, Umi has been busy with _kyudo_ practice lately. Everyone and their grandmothers knew that much but not so on the reason. It should follow that an uptick in club activity means something big—like a tournament—is just around the corner. But that never crossed anyone's mind.

Dozens of hiccups riddled today's practice, most of which came from the last person µ's expects to. Umi seemed to fail to get on her groove, not just with the clapping. Like a domino that couldn't just stand up straight, she kept falling short of her fellow idols' pace, even taking a few down with them. Word on everyone's mind was that today's Umi felt like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Rin even went as far as calling her a spy sent to sabotage µ's (which received the same attention as would a truther). Despite the hiccups, afterschool practice ended with a satisfied feeling and hope that Umi would be okay the next day.

The manager wasn't going to wait for tomorrow to make her feel better. "Umi, got a minute?"

Umi expected the post-practice call. "I'm terribly sorry for today. I promise to make up for it by tomorrow's practice."

"At least you still have energy to cut to the chase," the manager joked. "For a moment there, I really thought you were a spy."

"That's ridiculous and you know it," Umi said.

"I know, I know. Still, it's unusual for the down-to-Earth Umi Sonoda to be grossly distracted."

"And I assume you want to know what's wrong."

"Clear-cut as ever. You're _definitely_ our Umi."

Not that Umi hesitated, but she waited for the last members to leave before spilling the beans. After seeing the first-years off, the closed-door heart-to-heart began. She spared no detail, from the _kyudo_ club's archenemy to the trouble of setting the tournament on the day of µ's appearance on national TV. The manager had little difficulty discerning the real issue.

"Stuck between two hard places, huh?" the manager said.

"I'm lost," Umi said. "What should I do?"

Of the entire universe's wisdom, the manager derived a life lesson popular to the point of cliché. "What does your heart say?"

"My…heart?" asked a confused Umi.

"You know? Follow your heart? Ring a bell?"

"I don't follow."

There seems to be more to Umi's problem than just being made to choose, much to the manager's vexation. "Okay, let me put it this way. Do you feel that you should go to the tournament or the µ's live show?"

Her inner demons continued driving her frantic. "That's just it. I don't know."

"Be honest, Umi. This conversation won't take us anywhere with that attitude."

The setting sun casted two living shadows on the floor, one losing her mind on having to make a life-changing decision and the other trying to help to no avail. Its only contribution to a desperate situation did little to turn things around, let alone give a clue. The troubled archer-slash-school-idol inched ever closer to burning out, wincing at the unfortunate task of weighing the pros and cons of both choices. Questions flooded every grey area demanding answers.

She pulled through after a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Try as I might, my mind makes all the decisions."

"Is that a fact?" replied a dejected manager.

"I don't think the heart can make this decision, at least on its own," Umi added. "It's impossible to answer reason with emotion."

Urging her to reconsider at this point might as well be futile. "So, have you decided?"

"Yeah," Umi nodded. " _Kyudo_ needs me."


	14. Umi 3: Umi's Choice

**EPISODE III: Umi's Choice**

Practice the next day saw µ's without their reliable older sister figure to keep them in line, even as the other sister figure Eli took the lead. The cracks they patched up with Umi's help earlier began to appear again. Honoka kept skipping important dance steps. Rin moved too fast for the group's own good. Maki's dance lacked a lot of motion. Several rounds of practice passed without improvement, let alone a water break. They were a hot mess.

Lucky for them, the manager is a master of pep talks. "Don't lose heart now, girls. You don't want to disappoint Umi, do you?"

They didn't, not just because they wouldn't like the look of an upset Umi. With vigor in their hearts and a common goal in sight, the girls pushed to seal the cracks once more. Sweat, tears, and aching muscles aside, the rest of the rounds until the end of the day put a smile on their faces. Their minds got to work conjuring a vivid image of Umi dancing with them on her supposed spot, complete with the satisfying feeling of teamwork.

The day concluded with the most progress µ's had seen in Umi's absence. Ice cold juice basked in the sunset as the girls raised their cans in celebration of a productive day. Jitters and Goosebumps had no place in this tight circle of school idols, not when they vowed to give it their all before every man, woman, and child in Japan watching.

"Good work, girls," the manager said. "I think you're more than ready for the show this weekend. This show's gonna rock big time."

"For a minute there, I thought we were gonna fall like dominoes," Honoka chuckled. "I wish Umi was here to pat us on the head."

"More like a smack on the noggin," replied Nico and her sarcasm.

"Easy there, Nico," the manager said. "We still have tomorrow to perfect everything. Be in top form but don't push too hard."

In all honesty, however, the consensus made it clear. A live show just isn't the same with one school idol missing. Honoka made such misgivings clear the most. "Seriously, why did the tournament have to be on the same day as the live show?"

"Not like she has any choice," Maki replied. "From what I've heard, our _kyudo_ club has been winless since who knows when."

The change in subject piqued the manager's interest. "Winless, you say?"

"Yup," Maki replied. "Some guy from Saitama's been giving the club a hard time. Don't know who."

"Well, Umi _did_ mention something about unfinished business with a rival," Kotori added. "At first, I didn't know what she was talking about."

"Never thought Umi would hold a grudge," the manager said.

"I don't think 'grudge' is the right word," Kotori giggled.

"Maybe…'vendetta'?"

"I don't think that's right, either."

The festivities wound down with the amount of juice left in their cans, but not once did idle chatter relent. Only when the door swung open for a student in traditional garb did the celebration grind to a halt. "Excuse me."

"That getup," Eli said. "Aren't you from the _kyudo_ club?"

"Yes, I am," the student answered. "Is Sonoda-senpai here?"

"Umi? Didn't she tell you that she'll be devoting her time to _kyudo_ until the tournament?"

"That's just it. She hasn't appeared for practice since yesterday."

Amidst the collective gasp from the rest of the club, Eli pressed the student for more details. "That's not right. Are you sure?"

"Y-Yes," answered the fidgety student. "The club's worried that she may not make it to the tourney. Not with a new strain of chickenpox going around."

"Chickenpox? Don't tell me she's down with one."

Maybe even more surprising is the fact that someone came down with the disease this day and age. Either scratching their heads or exchanging confused looks, most of the girls have little in the way of knowing what chickenpox looks or feels like. On the matter of Umi's chances of getting one, her fellow member can't tell if Umi herself isn't answering her phone.

"Do you have someone to stand in for Umi?" Nozomi asked.

"We do," the student answered, much to everyone's relief.

Every fiber of the manager's being desired otherwise, standing before a shocked crowd. "That won't do! Umi's your best shot in winning the regionals! Umi and nobody else!"

"But Umi might be down with chickenpox," Nozomi said.

"We can't say for certain," the manager replied. "Umi probably waited her whole life just to get even with this Saitama guy. She won't let a couple of water-filled bumps get to her."

"Then what should we do?"

"I'll go see Umi tonight. I've already had chickenpox so my chances are lower."

Another collective gasp from µ's, then pleas to reconsider followed starting with Eli. "You can't. You can still get one even after the last. We can't lose you when we're _this_ close to the big day."

Brimming with confidence, the manager stood by the decision. "I know it's dangerous. But I won't stand for someone to miss the chance of her lifetime. I'm going in deep. Wish me luck."

 **~O~**

Inside the stillness of her quarantined quarters, a bedridden Umi held two pictures of her friends. The flimsy photos weighed down on her hand in a struggle to weigh much more than the other. Her _kyudo_ colleagues on the left and µ's friends on the right, not a second passed without turning away from the photos. A troubled mind raced to reach a compromise, but absurdities like doubling back to the live show from the tournament popped up instead. Creating a shadow clone? Neither would appreciate her vanishing in a puff of smoke. Splitting in two? Which half would get the liver?

Choosing not to choose appeared the best course of action. After all, she's down with blisters from head to toe. Between forgoing both _kyudo_ and the live show, and preventing an epidemic, the right choice was a no-brainer. But it did little to cut down her guilt.

"I'm sorry, everyone," she muttered and put the photos away.

The manager's muffled voice echoed through the door before she could slam her eyes shut. "Umi? It's me. Can I come in?"

Umi got out of bed as fast as she got in earlier. "Eh? But I have—"

"I know. But can we still talk?"

"I…guess. But don't say I didn't warn you."

"Okay, I'm coming in. Don't laugh."

"Huh?"

Behind the door, the distinct squeak of plastic filled Umi's ears as much as the view of her visitor covered from head to toe. The flash of yellow illuminated the still-lit room more than the wearer's annoyed look could darken it. Behind the surprise of a visit from a friend in a hazmat suit, Umi gagged her chuckle before it could get out.

"Don't laugh," the manager smirked. "Your mom made me wear this."

"I'm not! I'm not!" Umi replied, still keeping the urge to laugh inside.

"What sane household keeps a hazmat suit, anyway? Let alone one for chickenpox?"

"Don't ask. Come sit down."

The manager wobbled with every step closer to the bedside stool. Thanks to every ounce of care in the world, the manager sat down without looking any sillier.

Somehow, Umi's poxes were a far cry from the manager's expectations. In place of the water-filled itchy bumps were flat blisters akin to ordinary rashes, easily mistaken for red inkblots placed for the purposes of feigning illness. Apart from that, Umi didn't appear to be groggy. She may just be fit to compete in the regionals or appear on national TV if not for the blisters riddling her body like holes in Swiss cheese. With the manager sitting beside her, however, her restless gaze darted all over the place. The response of hiding her hands inside the blanket raised the manager's brows.

"What's wrong?" the manager asked.

"Nothing," Umi shook her head. "Just…a little chilly…"

The manager got to the meat of the matter anyway. "I know you decided to go with _kyudo_ , and I respect that. I just want to make sure you're not wasting your decision."

"Rest assured, I'm not," Umi replied. "It's just that these blisters came at the worst time."

"At least someone will stand in for you. Then again…"

"Huh?"

"Are you okay with this?"

Beneath the covers, Umi clenched her hands along with the blisters that covered them. Heavy with guilt, her head dropped amidst the manager's words of wisdom. Was she really okay with the way things are right now? Would she regret bowing out of the regionals and lose the only chance she has at getting even? Would her friends show disgust at her decision not to perform with them? So many pesky queries clouded her mind, and she had no idea which to deal with first.

"You know I can't go out like this," Umi said. "I have—"

"Of course you have the pox, but that's not my point," the manager cut her off midway. "How long has it been since you decided to be a school idol? Weeks? Months? Despite that, not a day passes without you aiming true and shooting straight down the range."

"I don't understand. What are you getting at?"

"You can't let go of either _kyudo_ or school idols. That's why you're committed to both. How is this situation any different?"

" _Very_ different. You can't expect me to do a live show while my opponent's busy taking the shot. That's just stupid."

"Of course that's _stupid_. I'm not stupid."

"Then what are you saying?"

"You're choosing _not_ to choose—and that's bad."

In that instance, the battle of wits came to a close. A stunned Umi accepted her defeat. "You…knew?"

"Seemed odd that you don't know jack about listening to your heart," the manager explained. "You knew that adding school idols to your _kyudo_ will be hard, but you decided to go for it anyway. Your heart, my friend, _made_ that decision."

"But I could've told you that I thought of the best way to split my time."

"True. But it would be much easier to give up one for the other. Of course, you couldn't do that."

The invisible weight bearing down on her for the past few days have all but vanished. Never would Umi underestimate the manager's ability to discover the root of the problem with just a few feet of soil dug out. Meanwhile, the manager gained enough audacity to remove the helmet, to Umi's fear. Soon, the rest of the suit was off, exposing the manager to the pox menace.

"By the way," the manager pointed at a drop of sweat washing away a blister. "Your chickenpox is melting."


	15. Umi 4: On Two Fronts

**EPISODE IV: On Two Fronts**

 _A/N: The kyudo tournament here is not reflective of real-life kyudo. Info is based on loose research and may not reflect official rules._

One last bull's-eye.

Otonokizaka's hope for a victory called for one more arrow dead center, a miracle at 60 meters. Hits and misses riddled the school's target but cutting close with that of its rival next to it. The blessing of victory swung back and forth up to this do-or-die moment.

The rival school's bet stepped forward for his last shot of the game. Mind focused and flawless form, he showed the world his right to be feared by the other schools. The delicate pull of the bowstring to his ear and the intent to shoot straight culminated in an arrow guided by the hand of fate. With confidence, he let the arrow knife through the air toward coveted glory.

Behind the waiting line, a tense Umi watched her rival's arrow strike home but fall a hair's breadth short of dead center. Still, the skilled would be hard-pressed to match such a close call, if not a clean hit down the circle. Needless to say, he lived up to his fearsome moniker: "Eagle Eye."

Now, it was Umi's turn. Her odds of victory rose a little but not enough for a guarantee. Closing her mind off of the outside world, she readied and aimed her last hope. The grace of her form and an unwavering focus caught the judges' awe. The arrow begged to fly free.

Years of devotion and training came down to this life-changing shot. Even as she split her time after joining her friends in µ's, not once did Umi ever stray from the art of tradition. Up until a few nights ago, however, she came close in betraying that tradition and her friends. The echoes of one night in particular reminded her of the reason she stands ready to fire that arrow. Time stood still for her to play that short but significant scene. If not for a certain person with the doggedness of a wounded hero, she may have made the biggest mistake of her life.

" _What do you really want to do, Umi?" the manager put aside the hazmat suit, which turned out to be a non-factor in their heart-to-heart._

 _Neither kyudo nor school idols appealed to her anymore in the confusion. Her eyes darted away from the manager's daunting gaze. Nervous sweat rolled down her face and dripped all over her blanket. The rest of her faux poxes dissolved before the rolling drops. But not a word of her real intentions came from her mouth._

 _Grabbing Umi by the shoulders, the manager made the decision for her. "Go to kyudo."_

" _What?" a dumbfounded Umi replied._

" _We can always hold another live show together. But you might never get another chance like this in kyudo. Enter the competition, Umi."_

" _But that's not…I…"_

" _µ's won't leave without you, Umi. The girls and I will be waiting right here, win or lose."_

" _What if I made the wrong decision? What if I should've listened to my mind after all?"_

" _Better than not making one."_

Time resumed its flow again. Aiming true, Umi released her arrow and watched it knife through the air. The remaining seconds before impact ticked away: Three…two…one…

 **~O~**

On another front, lights of various shades bathe a stage worthy for a school idol group of eight. The distinct hues of red and white on their costumes radiated with every flash of the lamps above and on the stage. The backdrop flashed their name over streaks of rainbow colors surrounded by many-hued balloons. An air of familiarity blew inside the set, as any avid school idol fan recognized their choice of music for this special appearance.

Soon, off-vocal music filled the studio—their first live since becoming a full group of nine. This time, they were one member short, but days of intense training didn't let a lacking formation become too dull. Down to their choreography, their first few seconds of national fame earned cheers from the live studio audience. Any mistakes on their part drowned in their efforts to make up for such with the next set of steps and lyrics.

µ's finished their number down to the last step. The packed studio erupted in cheers and applause as a man with a taste for tuxedos walked up to meet the girls. "Ladies and gentlemen give it up for µ's!" he cried, followed by a louder roar of adoration.

Kotori gave Honoka a congratulatory pat on the shoulder. "We did it, Honoka. We really did it."

"Yeah," Honoka replied. "Looks like we did."

The girls' attention returned to the talk show. Right off the bat, the host throws the first of a series of questions. "Okay girls, no joke. What's going on your mind right now?"

None of the girls was sure how to answer that. Fortunately, their leader came prepared. "We're glad to be here right now. Even if we're one school idol short, it only gives us a reason to work harder."

"Inspiring if I say so myself," the host replied. "Let's hope that Ms. Sonoda does her best in _kyudo_."

"Trust us. You would want to see us when we're a full nine."

"Looking forward to that. But we'll get to know more about you after the break."

The studio erupted in applause again while the girls exited stage right. Under the cover of countless TV ads, they got their much-deserved respite backstage with ice cold quenchers. A pleased manager walked up to offer congratulations. "Jolly good work on the show, ladies. I bet A-RISE is shaking in their stilettos after seeing that performance."

"They're not _that_ stupid, you know," Maki sighed.

"Don't ruin the moment, princess," Nico said. "At least we got their attention."

The subject changed faster than they could chug down their drinks. "By the way, can someone check the results of the tournament? It should be over by now." announced Honoka.

One quick look of Hanayo at her phone later: "Nothing."

"Ah! This is nerve-wracking!" Honoka yelled. "I wish I was there cheering Umi on."

"Calm down, Honoka," Eli said. "I'm sure Umi's giving it her all. For that, we have to give it our all here, as well."

"Try not to make my efforts of convincing Umi go to waste, girls," the manager chuckled.

Speaking of which, as Rin explains, "I can't believe Umi would do such a thing, you know? I mean, fake chickenpox?"

"I'm just glad that it wasn't real," Eli sighed. "Was Umi _that_ desperate?"

"It's not so much that she's desperate as she's confused," Kotori said.

One minute before going live, the floor coordinator told them. The manager demanded everyone's attention now than later. "Listen, girls. School idols or otherwise, I want you to promise me that you'll all make a decision when faced with something like this. You may end up making a bad call along the way, but there can be no greater shame than hesitating to seize the moment. Take this tidbit of wisdom with you, not just to Love Live."

Thirty seconds before going live, the girls accepted the manager's words as their own without so much a word. Hand in hand with the girls, the manager dedicates this live show. "For Umi."

"For Umi!" shouted the girls in unison.

Ten seconds before going live, the show summoned them back to the set.


	16. Umi 5: Results

**EPISODE V: Results**

There was no reason for Umi to feign illness days after the tournament. The fair maiden who saw through her decision until the end, be it right or wrong, lay in bed under the covers. The calming tunes of classical piano, playing on a loop since this morning, aided the damp towel on her forehead and hot ginger tea in fighting the flu. Who knows how effective this trinity treatment is, but she can breathe easy knowing that it's not chickenpox.

Behind the door, her first visitor as a sick friend knocked. "Umi, it's me. Can I come in?"

"Do you have your suit on?" Umi chuckled.

"Very funny, Umi. I'm coming in."

The manager entered the room bearing blessings of oranges and sports drinks to finally be done with Umi's fever once and for all. No protection from the ridiculous hazmat suit this time, but the manager sits by the bedside unfazed.

As much as they wanted the entire gang to wish their get-wells, only the manager had time to spare. More student council work demanded Eli and Nozomi work past sunset. In the sweets shop, Honoka couldn't risk earning her mother's ire by skipping store duty tonight. The first years had begun their all-night homework party at Maki's place. And for reasons unclear, if not unknown, Nico and Kotori were unaccounted for.

"It's okay," Umi said. "To be honest, I kinda wanted it to be just the two of us."

"Really? Why's that?" the manager replied.

A moment of silence helped Umi muster all the courage she can. Then, she showed her true feelings. "I…I want to thank you. For everything."

"Everything?"

The manager followed Umi's gaze to the top shelf, where a silver plaque lorded over the rest of the effects in the room. A silver medal dangled from the round ornament on top of the plaque, gleaming with the rest of the accolade. Soon, tears crept out of her eyes along with a dash of frustration. The manager wasted no time freeing up a crying shoulder for her to lean on.

"I told you," the manager patted Umi on the head. "µ's will never leave you, win or lose."

"But…but we didn't win," Umi sobbed.

"It doesn't matter. You took a stand and saw it through until the end. Any good friend will be proud of that, even me."

She leaned on the manager's shoulder even more, finding much-needed comfort as she lets out her sadness. "I'm sorry. Had I not hesitated, I could've done better."

"That's true," the manager said. "But don't lose heart. It was a close fight, after all."

A whole week's worth of sadness flooded out of her system, but the manager held her closer as she cried. The minutes ticking past, the two shared each other's warm company, a much-needed respite from the strain of making difficult decisions. This close together, the flu will find its next victim, but such matters are trivial. They want to cherish this moment, even more if time can stand still for just a few moments.

Umi had the solution this entire time. She said it herself: _Be more afraid of doing nothing to win than doing everything to lose_. Indeed, she gave it her all during the close fight to the finish and fell short of victory. But it may as well have been more mortifying had she not chosen to fight at all. Perhaps, in another timeline, she may finally bring home the bacon.

"I finally realized what our _senpai_ told us," Umi wiped the remaining tears off her eyes.

"You mean that?" the manager replied.

"Yeah. I've been telling that to the others for the longest time now. I can't believe I didn't see it."

"Your _senpai_ must've been quite the cool kid."

"Is she now?"

"Quoted for truth."

 **~O~**

µ's was complete once again the next day, breaking a sweat at the rhythm of clapping hands. The down-to-Earth Umi everyone knew and loved took the lead in today's practice, ever observant in the tiniest faults. "Honoka, you're supposed to cross to the right with Kotori at this part. Do it now."

"Yeah, got it," µ's leader snapped into action, albeit she felt less of a leader due to Umi's position.

"Nico, you're straying from the formation," Umi continued. "Don't let the choreography dictate you where to move."

"Sorry," Nico gasped. "I'm working on it. Promise."

"Slow down a little, Rin. You're leaving the others in the dust."

"Uh, yeah, working on it, nya."

Her attention to detail scared them a little, as all the girls had at least one tiny fault pointed out to them by practice's end. Regardless, any school idol group with the goal of making it big at Love Live wouldn't have it any other way. As early as now, they have the means to become better, due in no small part of a fellow idol whose conviction has returned. This was good or bad news, depending on who anyone asks.

Then, the distinct ringtone of Hanayo's phone disturbed the peaceful air of the brief water break. Judging by the tone and disbelief written all over her face after reading the email, another event needs µ's presence.

"She's doing that face again, nya," Rin said. "That means it's another live show!"

With Hanayo too shocked to answer, Nozomi glanced over her shoulder for a quick look. "Looks like it's from another TV station in Tokyo. They want us to perform at their morning talk show."

The crazed µ's encyclopedia snapped out of her trance to add: "And get this! Rumor has it that one of the members of the Imperial House watches this show every day!"

"Are you serious?" cried Maki.

A skeptical Eli called for cooler heads. "Now, now girls. That's stretching it. Regardless, it's another good opportunity to get up the popularity ladder. When's the big day?"

Hanayo glanced back to the email. "Next week."

The tight deadline brought down the mood of the entire space. But something else dismayed Umi, far from the lingering doubt of being ready in a week. The manager took notice. "What's wrong?"

At least now, she knew well not to keep difficult decisions to herself. "The _kyudo_ club's supposed to have a three-day training camp next week."

"Talk about bad timing," Nico sighed.

After which came the question everyone wants an answer to, courtesy of the manager. "What do you want to do, Umi?" The eyes of the world, in an instant, turned to her, waiting for her decision. A job for Honoka as leader, her glare made it clear that she wanted Umi to decide for the group. The nightmare that almost caused her both _kyudo_ and µ's haunted her to no end, urging her to make the mistake again. Come up with another outlandish excuse to feel like a fool between her two interests.

Her silence went on for too long, much to the manager's worry. "Umi—"

"Let's do it," she finally spoke up. The girls couldn't contain their surprise.

"Umi, are you sure?" asked Honoka.

"I trust my friends in _kyudo_. They'll pull through in my stead. Besides, I owe you girls a live show for that mad stunt of mine."

"You don't need to do that, you know."

Umi smiled at the manager, who smiled back. "My decision stands."

 **AIM TRUE, LET FLY**

 **End**


	17. Hanayo 1: Rice Idol

**RICE TO THE OCCASION**

 _Hanayo Koizumi's character story_

 **EPISODE I: Rice Idol**

The ideal conditions for lunch time checked out: clear skies, cool shade, and the company of all nine members of µ's—as well as the manager—and their lunchboxes. The once-in-a-blue-moon meeting, sans an actual blue moon, perhaps indicated a matter important enough to warrant everyone's attention all at once. Luck seemed to be on their side, as all of them had plenty of free time at this crucial hour of school. The gathering suggests another live show around the corner, if not Love Live itself, enough to get Honoka's blood pumping.

To their surprise, the details of the meeting made no mention about a live show, let alone Love Live. But that's a story for another time. The disbelief in the girls' faces paled in comparison to Rin seeing Hanayo with a Monte Cristo. Even the eerie rhyme that came with the surreal sight wasn't enough to distract the former. "K-Kayo-chin…is that a…a…"

"A Monte Cristo," replied Hanayo. "I found the recipe on the internet and decided to give it a try."

"I know that's a Conte Misto," balked Rin. "But that's not the point! Why are you having a sandwich for lunch? A _sandwich_!"

Hanayo tilted her head in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Come on, Kayo-chin. You always, ALWAYS have rice for lunch, nya."

"Eh? Just because I love rice doesn't mean I'm bound to it for eternity."

"Well, of course not. But…"

Not one for Rin to make a fuss over something trivial. But here she was, shaking her head in shock and disbelief. The rest of the group trained their skeptic looks at each other, with Maki—and the most skeptical look humanity could ever wear—representing their worries. "Hey Rin, is that…really a big deal? I mean, we eat rice, too, but…"

"Of course it is," cried a frantic Rin. "This is Kayo-chin we're talking about, µ's rice idol!"

"Rice idol?"

"Yeah! A sweet girl whose love for idols is only rivaled by her love of rice!"

"Like I said, is it _that_ big of a deal?"

Maki aside, nobody really knew how to respond to that. The whole idea is absurd to say the least, but not a soul dares to press the issue further. Instead, they treated themselves to a front-row seat to the slapstick of the century while eating.

Some of Rin's lack of tact may have hit home, as Hanayo put down her sandwich in gloom. And she has yet to take a bite. Everyone was too drawn in to Maki and Rin's exchange of gags to notice this in detail, although the manager's gaze eventually bore down upon her. An apology was in order, so the manager made sure Hanayo got one from Rin—by a whack on the head if necessary.

"Ow! What was that for?" cried Rin.

"Apologize to Hanayo _now_ ," said the manager, complete with a glare that Rin wished that she did.

"W-Why…what d-did I do?"

"What you shouldn't have done. Making Hanayo look like a girl obsessed."

"Ehhhh? But she openly admits it, nya."

"That doesn't give you an excuse to keep poking her with a stick."

"Ehhhh? What are you getting at?"

Before the first sushi could trigger a food fight, Hanayo got in between. "Um guys, please stop fighting. It's not really a big deal if people start calling me 'rice idol.' After all, that's who I am." Concern for her image would've ended there had she not packed up and left the circle in a hurry, even letting her trailing tears show to the eagle-eyed Umi.

"Yeah," Umi sighed and turned to Rin and the manager. "I think you two owe her an apology."

"We regret our shame," Rin and the manager replied in unison.

 **~O~**

Perhaps no idol in the world shows her love for rice as much as for school idols more than Hanayo. The circumstances that would lead her to such a peculiar love were a story for another time, but her love from rice balls to fully-loaded rice meals would be subject of no debate. In a mixer of personas known as µ's, this trait helps her stand out amidst her normal looks. And as she said before, Hanayo wouldn't have it any other way.

So, Rin's somewhat tactless description of her best friend is on the money. How such a description upsets Hanayo becomes today's mystery to solve, with the manager no less. However, the first step, finding Hanayo, has all but proven to be a dead end. "Come on, Kayo-chin. Where are you?" said Rin.

"This wouldn't have happened if you hadn't made a big deal out of her lunch," the manager replied. "A perfectly-made Monte Cristo wasted."

"I'm telling you, she fully embraces it. She'll eat a rice ball the size of her freakin' _head_ if she wants."

"Doesn't mean you can start making fun of it."

"I _wasn't_. Why blame _me_?"

"Because you made a big deal of something so trivial."

"If you suddenly found out that your meat-eating friend went vegan, wouldn't you be shocked?"

"Not to the point of calling him a 'vegan idol,' that's for sure."

"Nya…you're unbearable."

The last place they've yet to check—the club room—turned out to be the last place she would hide in. However, they found it peculiar for the computer to be left on. As Rin headed to the locker room to continue the search, the manager fell short of turning off the computer. The monitor flashed the answer they were looking for.

"Nya…she's not here, too," Rin came out of the locker room disappointed. "I swear, it's not like Kayo-chin to be upset about this."

"Well, this blog post tells us why," replied the manager, fixated on the computer.

"Huh?"

"Call up everyone to the club room immediately."


	18. Hanayo 2: Freedom of Speech

**EPISODE II: Freedom of Speech**

 _TIME TO END YOUR ROMANCE FOR RICE  
[date and time redacted] by KayoLove55_

 _As an avid fan of µ's, it has become my sworn duty to raise any issue that may be plaguing the group. The following is no exception._

 _The last live show they did was beyond awesome, as expected of them. Fans like myself could feel the passion that goes into every set piece with every step and chorus. But I noticed something odd about Hanayo back then. Whereas the other members moved with such finesse, Hanayo at the back seemed to be struggling to keep up. I hope my eyes at the time were playing tricks on me (since I didn't get enough sleep over the excitement of the live show), but this matter had to be raised._

 _Not even the local media stopped to think as to why she was acting that way, but I can guess, at least. Her uncanny love for rice is to blame._

 _Everyone knows Hanayo to be the epitome of a Japanese person's love for rice. From rice balls to rice bowls, she never starts and ends her day without glorious Japonica. And I think that's the reason for her difficulty that time. Her figure has considerably changed, as you can see from the comparison of the photos below. The left one is from a live show several months ago, while the right is from the last one. Like and share this blog post if you see the difference._

 _I won't go over the particulars like vital statistics, as not only would that be difficult to determine but also plain rude. But one thing's for certain. The extra weight from her obsession with rice is weighing her down. If she keeps this up, she'll crash and burn in the next live._

 _Ergo, I made my point here. It's time for Hanayo to break up with rice. I honestly don't want her to be a liability to µ's more than an asset._

 **~O~**

"A liability more than an asset," the stinging words hit every member (save for the absent Hanayo) where it hurt the most. Their guilty faces knew it to be true, which they chose to turn a blind eye to the issue at the time. The manager perhaps expressed guilt the most, the failure to notice this over the course of the tenure gripping like a vice. When it takes an avid fan to point out what they choose not to point out, the feeling of failure will reach critical mass.

The manager aside, nobody in µ's expressed her frustration more than Rin. "I say we take this wise guy to court for hurting Kayo-chin's feelings. Who does he…or she think he…or she is, telling Kayo-chin to ditch rice?"

"Seriously? That's your plan?" replied Nico.

"You have a better idea, then?"

"Not as worse as paying for a lawyer."

No surprise that it became clear that they weren't taking anyone to court, especially not over a topic regarding freedom of speech. "I don't think this blog is libelous or anything," Eli remarked. "We _did_ acknowledge it to be true, right?"

"I agree," Umi added. "Besides, getting all riled up over something like this will only affect µ's image. We can't afford to get swept away by our own frustrations."

"You can't be serious, nya," an upset Rin dropped to her seat.

"No one's getting sued," the manager reiterated. "If Hanayo needs to cut back on rice, we could help her with that. But our focus should be to convince her not to take an opinionated piece like this too seriously. Besides, the last thing we need is an overblown comment war on freedom of speech."

And take the manager's word for what it's worth when said comment war gets uglier the longer it remains on the Internet.

The helpless look on Rin made it clear to the girls about her insistence on her plan. Their childhood bond has grown to the point of sharing a common body. Hurting Hanayo physically or emotionally may as well hurt Rin equally, if not more. The desire for the latter to do more for her friend wells up inside her. So does her fear that it may never get its chance to be unleashed.

Just as Rin attempts to urge the group to reconsider one last time, the door opened for Hanayo. "K-Kayo-chin?"

Confusion gripped Hanayo upon realizing that all eyes were on her. "Um…hello?"

"We were looking all over for you, Kayo-chin. Where have you been?"

"Um…the restroom?"

"Took you forever, nya. Lunch break's almost over."

"Funny you should say that," Hanayo laughed nervously. "The sandwich…wasn't very cooperative. But I'm okay now."

The girls wouldn't be glancing at each other with worry if not for the ricey debacle. "You sure you're okay, Hanayo?" Honoka asked. "The whole 'Rice Idol' thing seemed like it hit a nerve or something."

Hanayo returned a smile to prove her point. "I'm fine. I know everyone is entitled to their own views, and I respect that. Rest assured that I'll keep being myself." Regardless, the air of anxiety in the room persisted, along with the worried looks among her fellow school idols. "Come on now, girls. I promise I'm fine."

"Very well," the manager's remark pulled watchful gazes away from Hanayo. "Then I declare this case closed. I don't want anyone losing sleep over this. Understand?"

"Kayo-chin…" a dismayed Rin slumped.

The meeting concluded with everyone's nods, just in time for the afternoon half of class to begin. Rin hurried to Hanayo's side, walking back to class together. Of course, the more vigilant members kept close tabs on the latter, not one to believe that everything was back to the status quo. And they were about to be proven right, as the Rice Idol's story was far from finished.

 **~O~**

Sticks and stones may hurt her bones, but words cut deeper into her soul. Shrouded by the intended darkness of her room, Hanayo glued her eyes on the only source of light: her laptop. It flashed the same hurtful words posted for the Internet to see and share. Guilt weighed her down to her chair, not a second to even take a quick bathroom break or call it a night.

Now, the blog post had picked up traffic, spreading across timelines and attracting mixed opinions. As with any issue of contention, some raced to defend their beloved Rice Idol, albeit the unsparing use of the term irked her to no end. A despicable few played with the comments section with more irksome words like "creepy" and "crazy."

Enough is enough. Hanayo slammed her laptop shut and retreated to her bed in tears. The gravity of her so-called "obsession" for anything rice set in at a snail's pace but gnawed at her morale.

"Hanayo, dinner's ready," her mother called from outside after knocking.

"I…I'm not hungry," Hanayo replied with an equal volume.

"You're not? Don't you want your bowl of—?"

"I had early dinner with friends earlier."

"Oh, is that so? Well, come down if you change your mind."

"I will."

It's obvious that she's never coming down for dinner, unless it's a sandwich. Her hunger instead fed on the salty tears creeping up to her lips, sobbing to be heard by nobody but herself. The images of her glee in front of a bowl or plate of steaming rice faded into obscurity one by one.


	19. Hanayo 3: Another Way

**EPISODE III: Another Way**

"Oh, there you are," Umi enters the manager's classroom. "Everybody's already on the roof for practice. Come on."

"Okay, just give me a few seconds," the manager responds without looking, fixated a second on the notebook and the next to the smartphone. Curiosity gets to Umi as she notices lines of notes written like a bibliography. She shifts her attention to the smartphone, catching a glimpse of what appears to be a scientific journal.

" _The Extent of a Rice Diet in Weight Loss_ ," Umi says the title of the journal out loud. "Are you still worried about Hanayo?"

"It's not that I'm worried," the manager replies, still fixated on taking down notes. "I simply noticed a few inconsistencies in the blog post we read a few days ago."

"Oh? Like what?"

"Doesn't it seem odd that the blogger linked rice to Hanayo's poor performance? And that his only proof involves comparing two photos side by side?"

The resulting realization strikes Umi hard. "I…I never thought about that."

"He may be right about Hanayo's uncanny love for rice. But he never explained how her 'struggling' is a direct cause of that. I'm about to throw a stack of research papers his way."

For a minute, Umi can't help but nod to the manager's point of view. But then, the epiphany is short-lived as she shares her own. "That may be good and all. But I think the truth isn't what's troubling her."

This time, the manager makes eye contact. "Come again?"

"I have a feeling that she's more concerned about how she carries herself than what people think of her. That's just Hanayo."

"That…isn't saying much, Umi."

"Sorry, I'm not so sure myself yet. But it's a possibility."

Nevertheless, a second opinion gives the manager more food for thought. It may have just stopped the manager's opinion from becoming the case, as well as the decisive action that would follow. The notebook closes, ending the research for now but not the possibility the manager has put faith in. Just as much, Umi's stoic expression invests faith on her scenario. Only one can happen, and it's up to either to take action when the time comes. Whichever the universe decides, they hope that it reaches a resolution.

For now, afterschool practice awaits. Together, they make for µ's sacred practice grounds, engaging in idle chatter about anything other than the Hanayo debacle. Soon, they rejoin the rest of the club, their eagerness showing in their smiles. As Umi organizes the group for warm-ups, something about Hanayo catches the manager's attention. Perhaps Umi was on point about being too worried about the rice idol.

"Hanayo," the manager called. "You look pale. Are you okay?" She simply nods in reply. Not a word spoken, much to the manager's chagrin. "Okay. Must be my eyes playing tricks."

Except that Hanayo really is pale. Her rosy cheeks fade with the blast of sunshine and the sweat from hard practice. Deep gasps for breath echo as she twists and turns to the rhythm of the practice leader's clapping. Her movement slows a little after some time, expected of the least athletic of the bunch. Finally, the girls take five.

Nothing seems to have changed. Perhaps the debacle no longer bothers her as much as it did a few days ago. Perhaps there's no need to shove the research in the blogger's face or convince Hanayo that she's lovable now as she has always been. Or perhaps she's already made her decision in secret.

"Guess I was worried for nothing," the manager muttered. "Some hypocrite I am."

Something _has_ changed. And it starts with Hanayo's shaky arm.

 **~O~**

Once again, µ's gathers in the shade of the cherry blossom for a feast. Even in days where two or three members are missing, the gathering has become routine since the manager came to their lives. And it's doing a fine job of strengthening the bond between the girls, erasing the lines of seniority along the way. Eli—who perhaps exerts the most authority as an older sister figure—even admits that she's still not used to being casually addressed by the underclassmen idols.

Seniority aside, Rin puts forward a new matter of discussion in the luncheon. "Has anyone seen Kayo-chin? She'll miss lunch unless she hurries up."

"I saw her talking to the teacher in the faculty office," Maki replied. "But that was fifteen minutes ago. I'm not sure where she is now."

"You don't think she's skipping lunch just to steer clear of rice, do you?"

"Skipping rice is one thing. But skipping lunch?"

A stern Umi inserts herself into the conversation. "Now Rin, let's not talk about Hanayo's problem like that. It won't help her at all." Rin shrinks in silence, but the topic still stands.

Honoka, being Honoka, stuffs her mouth with bread, as well as the forum. "She can always have bread as a substitute."

"That's not helping, Honoka," Umi said. "Besides, µ's doesn't need another _bread idol_." She grins at the last two words as a subtle jab.

"Try saying that again but _slowly,_ " Honoka glares at Umi point blank. Fortunately, it's easy to defuse a feud involving two good friends since childhood, especially when the one doing the defusing is another good friend since childhood.

Everyone simply passes it off as another of their beloved leader's antics, but the humor is short-lived. Try as they might to steer clear of talking about Hanayo's debacle, any hearty talk about anything else eventually leads back to the issue. That's because friends who say they're just fine either aren't at all or just out to get sympathy votes. And the soft-spoken Hanayo's not the type of person to seek attention. The status quo can never return unless they get this issue out of the way.

It's up to the manager to save the situation. "I have an idea. Let's do a live show."

"A live show?" asked the girls in unison.

"More specifically, a solo show starring Hanayo," the manager continues under an aura of determination. "If we can convince the people that our rice idol is as adorable as any other school idol, she'll feel good about herself."

Eli is the first to express her skepticism. "Are we seriously gonna convince people that rice is good?"

"This isn't about rice, Eli," the manager answered. "This is about getting Hanayo to believe in herself. This is about helping her overcome her self-doubt. It doesn't matter whether or not she chooses to love rice after this. It shouldn't come at the expense of her desire to be a school idol," All the while, Umi looks on in amazement.

Soon, the rest follows. Maki smirks in response. "Quite the pep talker, are we? Fortunately for you, I have just the perfect song for the occasion."

"I wouldn't be this bold if not for someone who showed me another way," the manager glances Umi's way without leading too many heads.

"Ooh! This is exciting already, nya!" cried Rin and her newfound confidence for her close friend. Support for the manager's plan come pouring like a raging river. They want to get started as soon as possible.

Before that, however, they have to deal with a certain bearer of bad news running toward them. "Oh…there…you are…"

"Fumiko?" Honoka replied. "What's wrong?"

"It's…it's Hanayo…"

"Hmm? What about her?"

"She…she collapsed by the hallway."


	20. Hanayo 4: A World That Loves

**EPISODE IV: A World That Loves**

It's just as the school idols feared all along. Holding rice for weeks on end has taken its toll on one of their colleagues. A sandwich for lunch just won't cut it for a day at school, much less skipping the ever-important breakfast and dinner. The girls were helpless to avert this conundrum, not that they're to blame as much as their fainted friend.

"The nurse said she's gonna be fine," Eli told the manager, both watching Hanayo regain a bit of strength by sleep. "I also heard from her class that they've noticed her frailty several days ago. But they just shrugged it off as an isolated case. I talked to the teachers earlier and they agreed to send her home as soon as she wakes up."

The manager, however, has a different idea in mind. "The power of the media can be scary. _This_ is just a taste of what it can do."

"So why didn't we take action back when we had the chance?"

"Because I'm not about to get µ's involved in a lengthy struggle against freedom of speech. It's not worth risking your careers."

"What kind of freedom even gives the right to insult someone for what she likes?"

"You tell me, Eli. If something could be done, someone would've done it ages ago."

"That can't be right."

"You're right. It isn't."

Indeed, the dilemma has already moved beyond the Asian staple. The manager feels glad to have not engaged the blogger in an exchange of facts and figures (although the research has been a waste of time in the end). There's no telling how things might go, even spiraling into a flame war. As a person entrusted with keeping µ's on track toward stardom, the manager finds online debates less appetizing.

"You know," Eli starts peeling an orange, hoping that Hanayo eats it when she wakes up. "I've faced criticism, too. Many times."

"Of course," the manager replied. "Russians take their ballet seriously."

"You know the feeling when you've worked so hard for something, only to lose by someone who only worked less as hard," Eli's thoughts are listed one broken section of orange at a time. At the back of her mind, her childhood self tears up at the victory that should've been hers. "A spiteful self told me that I deserved to win. It taught me to despise those enjoying their minutes of fame with minimal effort."

"Do you still despise them now?"

"Thanks to µ's, I don't. At least, not as much as before."

The manager's comforting hand lands on Eli's shoulder. "They'll remember you for making their lives easier, one way or another."

"I know. Still, though…"

Soon, the bedridden rice idol groans to find out that the cold hallway floor has given way to a soft mattress. She's clear of the danger, although weakness still grips her. "Where…am I?"

As Eli nurses her to full health with some oranges, the manager becomes lost in thought. The decision not to pursue Hanayo's critic for apologies weighs heavy on a mind left to think on its own. Such an option is already out of the question, yet the manager can't help but think otherwise. What if the decision comes back to bite them all in the rear? What if the manager's original plan turned out to be the correct course of action?

Self-doubt is a sign. The matter is out of the manager's—and µ's—hands now. In the end, an issue regarding Hanayo can only be rectified by Hanayo alone.

" _A sweet girl whose love for idols is only rivaled by her love of rice!"_

" _Rest assured that I'll keep being myself."_

" _It doesn't matter whether or not she chooses to love rice after this. It shouldn't come at the expense of her desire to be a school idol."_

The manager stands up, to Eli and Hanayo's surprise. "Hanayo…"

"Y-Yes?"

"I…I…" The words gather by the manager's lips, but doubt holds them back. Regardless, the words inch their way to freedom. "I trust you."

"What?" replied Hanayo.

 **~O~**

The plan for Hanayo's own solo show is served on to a silver platter, accompanied by bowls of five different kinds of rice. The final hurdle involves her accepting the role no matter the cost. As expected, she adamantly turns down the idea out of pretenses such as a lack of self-confidence and upholding her vow of never eating rice again. But like a host insisting guests to stay awhile, the manager refuses to lower the silver platter. Hanayo's anxiety builds up, prompting her to turn to Eli who only stares back at her blankly. There would be no intervention from the µ's older sister figure.

"Hanayo," the manager said. "You gave me and the rest of µ's your word than you'll remain being yourself. Are you just gonna turn back on your word?"

"But…but…I am being myself," Hanayo replied in hush tones. "I'm the shy, quiet, school idol Hanayo Koizumi—"

"The Hanayo Koizumi I know loves school idols more than anything. The Hanayo Koizumi I know is also fearless and vocal regarding the subject."

"But I just can't. They…they want a different…"

"Last time I checked, those people AREN'T Hanayo Koizumi."

Tears begin to well up in her eyes, a telltale sign of the truth coming out. "Still…I don't…I don't want to be hated. I want to love."

Along comes the coup de grace: a hug from the manager. "Then don't believe in a world full of hate." The rousing speech moves Eli as much as its intended recipient, the latter unleashing the pent-up burden she's been carrying this entire time. The love she desperately seeks soon seeps into the void left by the cumulative hatred. She refuses to hug back, yet she doesn't try to break free.

Don't believe in a world full of hate. Believe in one of pure love instead.

"I trust you, Hanayo," the manager refuses to let her go. "Do you trust the world?"

Her response is barely audible from the incessant sobbing. "I…I…"

"This world needs to know what love is. Show it to them."

The sobbing finally clears up a little. "But…what if I fail?"

"Then we'll keep trying."

This time, the manager is worthy of Hanayo's return hug. She finally finds a sense of calm, a start in her road to redemption.


	21. Hanayo 5: Hanayo's Hour

**EPISODE V: Hanayo's Hour**

A dramatic shift in the wind blows across a modest gathering in front of a makeshift stage in front of the school. The felt backdrop of rice stalks and grains adorn the floor on which a certain school idol will perform alone. More of the papier-mâché stalks sway with the wind from the eaves of the stage. The mixed crowd of students and office workers heading home anticipate a show worth their time. Some show their reservations about an impromptu live show that revolves around rice, which they immediately associate with said school idol.

The curtain on the side briefly parts, enough to glimpse the reception. "That's…not a lot of people out there," Honoka's gaze darts left and right.

"It's no surprise," Umi said. "This show was just put together at the last minute. The people out there may just be passing by, intrigued by the sight of a rice-themed stage."

"Don't forget the text, nya!" Rin added. " _Hanayo's Happy Rice Show!_ It's gonna knock some socks out of the park."

"Says the girl who forgot to put 'Rice' in the title," Nico smirked.

The cat balks at the twin tails. "I told you, it was an honest mistake!" The two continue to squabble, the rest leaving them to their own devices. If anything, they'll grow tired of each other's faces soon.

And they do sooner than expected as all eyes turn to the school idol of the hour, Hanayo, in Kotori's latest couture. If the stage doesn't speak rice then, the relative motif of the costume probably will. "Sorry for the wait," Maki accompanied the star of the show backstage. "The costume's a pain in the neck to fit."

"I guess I got too carried away in designing this," giggled Kotori.

"Good job, everyone," the manager called the girls for one last briefing. "All that's left is for our star to step into the limelight." Soon, all eyes are on a trembling Hanayo. "Ready to do this, Hanayo?"

Stage fright creeps up to her vulnerable spirit. But with the helping hands of her friends, she manages to let out a sigh of relief. "You can do this, Kayo-chin," Rin said. "We believe in you, µ's _Rice Idol_." Everyone's smiles speak to that effect.

Not a word is spoken in reply. Hanayo steps out of the darkness, into the skeptical eyes and judgment to be passed. But already, the words she doesn't want to hear are reaching her. A child in the crowd even spells it out inadvertently: she's fat. And the child cannot be blamed for such behavior, even with her mother's slap of her wrist.

 _I can't do it_ , doubt speaks on her distressed behalf. The show might end as fast as it started, to the girls' chagrin.

But as they prepare to spring into action, they witness Hanayo face the crowd again. The manager's wisdom echoes as many times as necessary until the point gets across. _Don't believe in a world of hate_. Amidst misgivings, she puts on the brightest smile she can make. "W-Welcome everyone…to my solo live show."

The rest of µ's hang back, watching the show unfold with tense looks.

"I…love rice," Hanayo began. "I have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It goes well with just about everything—even _natto_!" Some in the audience grunt at the mere mention of their least favorite dish, if not the fact that their rice idol _actually_ likes fermented soybeans. "I can't imagine a day without a bowl of rice on the dinner table."

Backstage, Eli raises some concerns. "I thought this isn't going to be about rice."

"Easy, Eli," the manager replied. "Have faith in our rice idol."

Soon, the pre-program speech reaches the meat of the matter. "Some like rice, and that's okay. Others don't like rice, and that's okay too. I think we _all_ deserve to love the way we live life. That's how I stay happy."

"Where's she getting all this confidence?" Umi asked.

"Locked away in the depths of her heart," the manager answered. "And only Hanayo has the key to release it."

"So this is what you meant by 'believing in a world of love,' huh?" Eli smirked.

The crowd is more or less aware of the impetus for such a speech. They've spent enough hours on the Internet to know about the implications of having rice as one's image. They see these firsthand: the tight fit of the costume. Regardless, Hanayo keeps the show alive and starts dancing to the tune of her short number. Immediately, it captures the hearts of those anticipating a blatant response to all the bullying on the Internet. They all fell in love with this version of Hanayo.

"You destroy your enemies when you make friends with them," the manager quotes from a man of sheer influence in history. And for the record, nobody knows what Hanayo will do amidst the turmoil. µ's can't be any prouder of their Rice Idol, who finds the moniker to be more endearing than insulting.

"Thank you, everyone! This is your Rice Idol, peace out!"

 **~O~**

A peaceful afterschool is broken by the distinct meows of a certain cat girl racing along the hallway. The student council marshals on her tail come nowhere near capturing her for the blatant disregard for the No Running policy in effect. Bystanders quickly get out of the way as she blitzes past them. Even total strangers can tell that she's peppier than usual.

Within minutes, she reaches her destination, her classroom, where star of the rice-inspired live show has just finished putting away the last of her things. "Kayo-chin! Kayo-chin! Come on to the club room! Hurry!"

"R-Rin?" replied a startled Hanayo. "H-Hold on. Where's the fire?"

Rin constantly tugs her best friend's arm. "There's no fire, silly. Now come on! Honoka and the others are already there." And the tugging eventually gives way to dragging a classmate against her will.

"R-Rin, wait! S-Someone help meeeeee!"

Alas, not one lifts a finger to help her at all. Not when the one being dragged is matching the dragger's pace. The return trip to the club room, due in no small part of shortcuts, becomes much faster. And with sheer enthusiasm, Rin shoves Hanayo inside.

"I'm baaaack, nya! And here's the star of the show, nya!" Perhaps she put a bit too much. Otherwise, she might have never sent Hanayo slamming against the edge of the table.

"You idiot!" Nico hits Rin on the head. "Careful with the merchandise!"

The quarrel aside, everyone trains their smiles and undivided attention toward Hanayo with a bit of a red nose. Feeling for the mood, she guesses that the unexpected agenda in the club room has something to do with the recent live show. After all, the student body hasn't been able to stop talking about it for days.

For good measure, however, she asks anyway. "Uh…what's going on?"

"See for yourself," the manager gets up from the computer seat, an invitation for Hanayo to satisfy her curiosity. Whatever the club wants her to see lies on the other end of the screen. As she sits down, the club gathers behind her.

 **~O~**

 _A FORMAL APOLOGY TO THE RICE IDOL_

 _[date and time redacted] by KayoLove55_

 _Not too long ago, I posted on my blog my apprehensions for Hanayo Koizumi's insatiable love for rice. I discussed about how such a trait was affecting her performance in the past several live shows. I even urged her to stop loving rice altogether._

 _That post has since been deleted (although the Internet may still have a copy)._

 _Despite my overwhelming adoration for µ's, I realized after her solo live that I'm in no position to tell anyone how to do things. I never wished ill of µ's, just thought of what I believed was best for the group. As fans, it's still our duty to call out on whatever that may affect the group, be it bad decisions or scandals. I think all of us still want µ's to continue no matter the odds._

 _In this case, however, I take fault. Telling Hanayo to quit rice may as well be telling her to quit life in general. Rice is more than just food for her. It's her persona._

 _And for this, I offer my sincerest apology. The image below is actually me bowing down to a bowl of premium rice, just to get my point across._

 _I won't ask for forgiveness from the fans or Hanayo herself (if she's reading this). I know it'll take a while before everything returns to normal. Still, this apology is genuine._

 **~O~**

"You did it, Kayo-chin!" Rin shook her stunned friend. "You showed that no-good blogger who's boss, nya! You're the talk of the town!"

But as much as Rin bursts in elation, Hanayo responds with a deep breath. Soon, she scrolls down to the bottom, where one has yet to comment on the post. As the club is her witness, she enters her simple response.

Apology accepted.

 **RICE TO THE OCCASION**

 **End**


End file.
